Revenge of the Joker
by Melimsah
Summary: Robin gets kidnapped by an old "friend," and the Titans find themselves searching desperately for their leader, with little luck. Torture, angst, despair, destruction, death... Can they save him? An unusual kind of TT/Batman Beyond xover
1. Disappearance

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker **

**Chapter 1: Disappearance**

**Rating:** R, for violence, gore, crude language, possible mentioning of nudity, and anything else that may come along that shouldn't be viewed by little eyes.

**The Usual Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Teen Titans, and I do not own the basic storyline from Batman Beyond, any of the characters or any other shows relating to it. But the day will come where I will overthrow Warner Bros, and THEN I will be in control! MWHEHEHEHEHEHE!! One day....

**Summary:** The Joker finally makes his appearance in the Teen Titan's universe by kidnapping his old nemesis Robin. But the other Titans don't know it as they desperately search for their lost friend. A Teen Titan - Batman Beyond x-over. R&R

**A/N:**

((sits back in her chair and twiddles her thumbs))

Well, I must say, this story is going to be fairly easy to write. Considering the plot line really isn't even mine to begin with... I'm just changing it to my own liking. I hope that's allowed.

So... here's what I did! I took the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker , grabbed that fun-fun scene with Robin and the Joker, did a bit of recasting here and there, and voila! It's all about the Teen Titans now, instead of just focusing on boring old Batman. A nice little idea, which I'm surprised has not been done yet. I will, of course, go into more detail than the movie did. I'm really loving the idea for this story, and I hope you all like it, too. Please read and review. It'll keep me workin hard for all of you!

(btw, small little errors have been cleaned up in the first chapter. The second one is through it's... what is it? Fourth? Yeah, probably. Fourth revision. I plan to have it up very soon.)

* * *

All was quiet on the streets that night. Robin was jumping from building to building, practicing his old acrobatic moves in attempt to drive away the boredom that usually accompanied an eventless patrol of the town. He leapt off the roof of a tall apartment building and did a smooth flip before landing on the next. He just loved doing it. The sense of flying, the sense of danger... it made any lingering troubles of his mind melt away. He leapt off another one, doing two flips this time, and landing lightly and gracefully on a sprawling rooftop. He felt a little out of breath, so he walked briskly, heroically even, across the roof and to one edge. He placed one foot on the short wall, and stared out at the silent streets below.

Maybe I should turn in, he thought, his eyes falling blankly on a single van driving by. He was sure the others had. It was well after two o' clock in the morning. Any Friday night drinkers that he could stop for drunk driving were probably either home or else passed out by now.

No sooner had he made up his mind to head back to the tower, than a voice broke the silence.

"Help! Help! Somebody please help!"

It was a woman's voice, sounding scared and desperate. Robin spun around, trying to locate where the voice was coming from, and realized it was from the alleyway between the building he was on top of and the one beside it. He peered over the edge of the roof and saw a woman crouched up against a dead end, while two big beefy criminal types closed in on her. The woman was covered with a hooded trenchcoat, and was hugging her purse tight to her chest.

"Hero time!" Robin said to himself, whipping out his grappling hook and shooting it at a metal balcony sticking out of the other building. The hook wrapped around one of the bars several times, holding it fast. Robin leapt off his roof, plunging towards the earth. He swung around, gripping the cord in his hands, and at the appropriate time, let it go and did one of his graceful flips. He dove, landing with one of his hands one each of the guys' heads, and knocked them together before doing a vault off of them and landing cleanly on the ground. He placed himself between the woman and her attackers, and held up his fists.

"That should even things up a little," he said, not sure if he was talking to the woman or himself as the two men regained their composure and readied themselves to attack.

"Not really, Bird Boy!" said the woman behind him, in a different, harsher voice, and with a jolt of horror, he realized who it was. But, no... it couldn't be. He spun to look at her, to confirm his fears, but halfway in his movement, something large and hard came whipping around and crashed into the back of his head. He went flying, his head exploding with incredible pain. He slammed hard on the ground, and everything seemed to rush away from him as he slipped into darkness.

* * *

"Good morning, friends!"

Starfire came floating into the large sitting room at the top of the tower, beaming happily at the three other Titans in the room, who didn't exactly share her optimism at the morning. Raven sat at the table, stirring a cup of tea mentally while reading an enormously large book. Cyborg was sitting on the couch, leaning his chin on his hand as he flipped through stations on the enormous television. Beast Boy was draped over the back of the couch, and looked to be sleeping.

"I said hello. Wont you return my greeting?" said Starfire, confused by their silence.

"Morning Starfire," said Cyborg and Raven in a bored unison. Beast Boy remained silent, confirming that he was indeed asleep.

"Did any of you not get enough rest?" asked Starfire, walking up behind Beast Boy and tapping him on the back. "We were not supposed to be out too late on our patrol. After all, most of us are still growing adolescents."

Beast Boy gave a belch in his sleep, as though he heard her and was telling her off for calling him a "growing adolescent"

"Nah," said Cyborg, flipping through a couple of news stations talking about a hurricane out in the middle of the ocean. "I wasn't out too late. Beast Boy had a bit of trouble last night, fighting off some drunken porno shop owners."

Beast Boy was suddenly alert as he gave a whoop of laughter.

"Heh heh... no, but I wish..."

"Porno shop? What is that?" asked Starfire.

"Forget about it," said Raven and Cyborg in unison.

"Man, I wish I had come across something last night," said Cyborg, "I've been bored out of my mind. We haven't had much action in the past week."

"Well, really, we should be celebrating that this town is no longer a harbor for unsolicited crime," said Starfire, with a triumphant look on her face and raising a finger. "It is our mission, after all, to abolish all acts of indecency in this city for all the time that comes."

"Yeah, well, I still like fighting badguys," Cyborg said dismissively, changing past some kiddy cartoons before giving up and turning the television off.

"Oh," said Starfire suddenly, looking around. "Where is Robin? Has he slept in again?"

"Probably," said Beast Boy, yawning and sliding forward, so his head was smashed strangely against the cushions of the couch. "He was out later than I was, and I got back around 3."

"Really?" said Starfire, a little troubled. "I wonder if he came home injured. Perhaps I should go check on him.... Or I know! I could make him a traditional breakfast of Blorgerbeans and Wimplesnap—"

"Just go wake him up," said the three other Titans in one voice, cutting her off mid-sentence. Starfire felt a surge of anger, but she suppressed it. These humans just didn't understand the wonders of her homeplanet's cooking.

She left the room and wandered down the hall, taking a lift down to the floor below, where she knew Robin's room was. She walked down the silent hallway, humming an old Tamaranian folk song as she went. She approached Robin's plain metal door, and knocked on it.

"Robin. I do hope I not intruding, but the others have sent me to wake you up."

There was no answer on the other side. Starfire hesitated a moment. She didn't want to open the door if it would mean interrupting Robin at an inopportune time – especially after the time the week before when she just barged into Beast Boy's room to find him in nothing but pink boxers. She didn't need to have more than one of the Titans avoiding eye contact with her for another week.

"Robin. I am entering, so please do not be alarmed."

She pressed a button beside the door, and it slid up with a loud scraping noise. Starfire took a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and then she realized what she was seeing.

The bed was empty. The room was empty. There was no sign that Robin had been in there at all that night.

Worry seeped into Starfire's thoughts. Could Robin be seriously injured somewhere? Could he have been kidnapped? Perhaps Slade really had... But, no. She quickly told herself to calm down – perhaps he was just in his lab, or the bathroom. Maybe he headed out early to do some morning patrolling. But without telling them first? Well, then again, Robin had been known to do that from time to time.

Starfire walked through the hallways, checking all the room's she had been known to find Robin in the past, but every peek into every empty room made her heart that much untroubled. After awhile, she realized she had searched every room in the tower at least once, some twice or even three times, and hurried back up to the top floor, fear rushing through her veins.

"I cannot find Robin!" she reported as soon as she opened the door. Raven looked up from her book, and Cyborg and Beast Boy, who had begun one of their silly video games, paused their battle and turned around to stare at her.

"You sure? You checked his lab?" asked Beast Boy, making it sound perfectly obvious that he would be there.

"I did. I also checked the basement, the bathroom, my room, the evidence room, and all of your rooms. There is no sign of him."

"My room?" asked Raven, cocking an eyebrow under her cloak. "Why would Robin be in my room? No one is allowed in my room."

"Yes. I am aware of that. I had to be certain, though. Where could he be?"

"Now, don't worry," said Cyborg calmly, returning to the video game, and despite talking to Starfire, was kicking Beast Boy's butt. "We'll just call him up on the transmitter. He might just be at the police station or something, turning in some robber or something."

"Oh... I didn't even try that," Starfire admitted, a blush coming to her cheeks. She reached around her belt and pulled her communicator free. She lifted it to her face and pressed a button on the side.

"Robin? Robin, are you there?"

She paused a moment for a response. But no response came. Starfire felt a knot form in her stomach.

"Robin. Please respond," she said, worry seeping into her voice. "Robin?"

The others had stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. Even Raven had looked up from her book. Starfire looked up.

"Why does he not answer?"

Cyborg furrowed his eyebrows and turned to the data screen on his right arm. He pressed a couple of on-screen buttons, causing several small bleeping sounds to echo through the room.

"His locator's been deactivated..." Cyborg said, eyes widening. Starfire gasped.

"His locator? Then, what happened to him...? Where is he?

No one answered. A long, drawn-out silence enveloped them. They all looked at one another, all their thoughts reflecting the others'.

Something bad had happened to Robin.


	2. And So The Search Begins

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 2: So the Search Begins**

**Disclaimer:** While I have claim on Robin's soul and sanity, they are simply fictional aspects of a fictional character that has special projection from kidnapping because he's COPYRIGHTED. scoffs Loser WB and DC people, ruining my fun...

**Rating Reminder:** Rated M for... erm... whatever M means. The fanfic version of rated R. Not for kiddies. Well, don't get me wrong! Teen Titans is for kids. That is, until I grab hold of it and throw in the blood and gore and language that is present in this fanfic. drools Blood... gore...

**Author's Note:**

Well, perhaps some of you whom may have wandered across this fanfic before have noticed… this is different. I've revamped this fic AGAIN! Me and the OCD story department inside my head… I swear…

So, I FINALLY know what it is I'm doing. I know exactly which direction this story is going, who is involved, and what will happen throughout. I'm hoping to finish this, and any support from y'all will rock! It's helped me so far! Thank you!

So, read, review, but keep your negative comments to yourself. They will only hinder my progress, sadly. Don't ruin it for everyone else.

* * *

"Okay Titans! We have a teammate missing with no explanation!"

Starfire winced at her communicator. She had heard words like those before, only it had been Robin's voice the previous time. She and Raven hovered in place above the skyscrapers of downtown Jump City, looking intently at Cyborg's face in their communicator screens.

"I have here all of Robin's coordinates from when Robin left the tower last night to when the signal was lost at around 3 o'clock this morning. Raven, you and Starfire start at the end of the list. B and I will start from the beginning."

"Okay," Raven said in her usual monotonous way, pressing a few buttons on her communicator. Starfire watched her silently as she took a quick look at the map of the city, memorizing the yellow line that indicated Robin's path, and then looked down at the real city below her. "This way," she said, gesturing for the orange alien to follow before diving down towards the city streets.

Below them, Cyborg and Beast Boy were driving around, rather manically, in Cyborg's tricked-out high-tech car. Beast Boy gave a scream as all four tires left the floor at one hill, landing roughly halfway down the block.

"And you think I should never be driving," he muttered darkly, gripping the dashboard as they went screaming around a corner, causing several cars to veer out of the way.

"That's right," Cyborg said, hardly looking at the road as he fingered with some buttons on the dashboard's GPA system.

"Why'd you give the girls the end of the list, anyway?" Beast Boy asked. "They're gonna be the ones to find something, not us!"

"It's not a contest," Cyborg said dully.

"I know, but I just want a little action! They might run into some bad guys, and what do we have?" He glanced at the screen. "First Western Bank of..." Oh, please. We all know their security system is warped. A cat walks by..."

"If we get the report, we have to check it out. Robin lives by that, even if you don't."

"What are we, dogs of the security agencies? Let them send their own men in."

"Hey, would you knock it--"

"Aw, and there's a pizza place over there! I haven't even eaten anything all day! We should go get--"

"We're not stopping any--"

"And why don't we have any music?" Beast Boy reached over to the console and pressed a button, causing speakers to pop out of the dashboard and suddenly throw eardrum-threatening rap music pounding through the car.

Cyborg suddenly hit the brakes, causing the car to screech to a halt and Beast Boy to slam face-first into the windshield. Cyborg slapped against the controls, cutting off the music as abruptly as it had started, leaving them with ringing ears.

"Look!" Cyborg spat angrily, turning to poke the green teenager hard in the shoulder as he pulled his face from the glass. "Our main concern right now is Robin! Where he was last night and where he is now. Just stop your bitching and focus on what we're doing, or else you can walk the rest of the way! Your choice!"

"Dude!" Beast Boy whined, rubbing his nose, which was bleeding a little from the face plant. "Don't you think you are getting a little overexcited? I mean, this is Robin we're talking about! Robin! He can take care of himself!"

Cyborg narrowed his eyes down at the changeling, a tense silence passing between them.

"None of this feels right," he said finally. "Whatever happened to Robin happened quickly, or else he would have been quick to contact us to give him a hand. He's not so ego-inflated to take on something he couldn't handle without letting us know about it. It's just--"

A loud honk made them both jump. They turned to see a mass of cars behind them, the leader of whom stuck his head out his window.

"YO! Titans! Don't think you're all so special you can just hog the intersection!"

"YO!" Cyborg shouted, leaning out his window. "We protect you from the forces of evil every freaking day! SHOW A LITTLE RESPECT!"

The man honked again, his head still out his window. Beast Boy leaned out his window and looked.

"HEY! ARE YOU AWARE YOU HAVE A BIG DISGUSTING BOOGER HANGING OFF YOUR NOSE?!"

The man looked horrified, and quickly checked in his side mirror to see. Cyborg put his car in gear, screeching off down the road.

"NOW WHO'S HOLDING UP TRAFFIC?!" Beast Boy screamed, shaking a fist at the man before jumping back into the car, cackling from his self-proclaimed wit.

Meanwhile, the two female Titans found themselves landing in a dark alleyway between two large apartment buildings. Starfire ran her fingers through her hair, glancing around.

"This is where Robin was last known to be located?" she asked, looking around glumly.

"Yeah. Not the best of neighborhoods," Raven noted, running her fingers along one of the brick walls, where the name "Ron P." was tagged in gold spray paint.

"Do you suppose he was attacked in this strange place?" Starfire asked, lifting the lid of a dumpster to peer inside. She got enough of a look to know that Robin wasn't in it and slammed it down, pressing a hand to her nose and gagging.

"I don't know," Raven said, stepping back from the wall and looking upward. Both apartment buildings rose five stories above their heads, fire escapes running all along their sides. She scanned it, both mentally and visually, for anything strange. "It's not like his transmitter ran out of batteries. Cyborg just charged them last week. They're good for another..."

There was a flash above her, very faint, hardly noticeable, but she caught it nonetheless. Something glinting in the sun far above their heads. She furrowed her eyebrows, her feet leaving the ground. She floated upwards to whatever it was.

"Raven?" Starfire asked, taking to the air as well. She followed closely at the other girl's heels, curiosity coursing through her. "What is it? Have you discovered someth-ah!"

She nearly collided into Raven's heels as the girl came to a sudden halt.

"Raven?" Starfire asked again, veering out of the way. Raven gripped something in her hands. It was a wire, a very thin one. Starfire allowed her gaze to follow up it until she saw where it fell from.

It was a red grappling hook, carrying Robin's signature bird design.

Starfire gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth. Raven's forehead crinkled in deep thought, holding the wire loosely in her hands. She stared past them, down to the alley below. Then she glanced upwards, trying to see how Robin swung down, where he may have landed, what purpose he may have had to do it.

"Cyborg," she said, pulling out her communicator. "We got something."

"What?" Cyborg asked, pulling out his own communicator as he shut the cardoor, having just arrived at the bank. Beast Boy popped out the window, climbing onto the roof in the shape of a small monkey to peer down at the older Titan's screen.

"Robin's grappling hook," Starfire answered, coming into the view over Raven's shoulder.

"It's just hanging here off of a fire escape of an apartment building. But there's nothing other than that. We don't know exactly where he may have went after this."

"Maybe he landed weird and busted his transmitter," Beast Boy suggested, morphing back into human form and swinging his feet over the edge of the car's roof.

"Perhaps," Cyborg said doubtfully. "Listen, start asking around. See if anyone heard any sort of disturbances last night."

"No problem," Raven said, clapping her communicator shut. She stared before her, still lost in her thoughts. There was not near enough information to come up with anything good, just a ton of random guesses.

"Hey!"

Raven and Starfire both startled out of their thoughts and spun around quickly to face the voice behind them, only to see the wide sparkling green eyes of a young girl. The child stared at them with a shocked, disbelieving expression. She looked to be six or seven years old, with tan skin and curly brown hair. After a few seconds, her shock had vanished, and a wide toothy grin exploded on her chubby face. "Oh my Gosh!! Oh my Gosh!! You're Starfire and Raven, aren't you! From the Teen Titans! I hear all about you on TV!"

"Congratulations," Raven said sarcastically, floating up to where Robin's gadget was attached, beginning to untangle it free from the bar it was wrapped around. Starfire gaped up at her incredulously, then looked at the little girl. Her smile had faded, her eyes wide and hurt.

"Please forgive Raven," Starfire told the young child in a soft voice, floating up to the window. "I do not think she is used to children such as yourself."

The girl puffed out her cheeks angrily. "Children?! I'm six! I'm practicably an adult!"

Starfire quickly smiled. "I can certainly see that! My, I thought for certain that you were much older! I apologize."

The girl giggled shyly, all smiles once again. Raven sighed in exasperation, her back still to them, rolling the wire around the red hook.

"We don't have time for this," she muttered in annoyance.

"What are you doing?" the little girl asked, leaning out the window to watch Raven more closely as the girl attached Robin's grappling hook securely to her belt.

"We're, uh, looking for someone," Starfire said, realizing that it probably wasn't wise to let the general public know about Robin's disappearance. Especially not a young girl.

"Are you?" the girl asked, mouth open in awe. "A big bad guy? Around here? I hope you catch him - Wow! This is so cool! I mean, three Teen Titans in two days! Maybe someday I can see Beast--"

"Wait a minute," Raven asked, floating over to the window, looking suddenly alert. "What do you mean 'three?' Are you saying you saw Robin here last night?"

The girl nodded, looking incredibly proud of herself. "I woke up in the middle of the night! I had ta go to the bathroom. And I came back in time to see him go WOOSH across my window! He did this really, really cool flip and landed down there!" She pointed down toward the alley. "There was a woman in trouble. Two big bad men were going to beat her up! Maybe take her purse! But Robin had them! He went BOOM BAH BAH BOOM!--" she demonstrated with a few air punches "-- and those bad guys went down!"

"What then?" Starfire asked seriously.

The girl suddenly grew gloomy. "My mommy walked in then. I tried to tell her about it, but she wouldn't listen. She thought I was being silly. And then, when I finally got her to the window, he was gone! They were all gone! I suppose Robin took those bad guys and then locked them up! Oh, and then he must've ran away and married that pretty girl!"

"What!?" Starfire gasped in horror. Raven threw her a harsh look, as though telling her not to be ridiculous.

"Is that all you saw?" Raven asked, looking back at the girl and wrapping her cloak more tightly around herself. The little girl nodded, her big smile once again on her face. Without another word, Raven began to lower back down toward the ground. Starfire watched her for a moment, then looked back at the little girl.

"I'm afraid we must get back to work now," she said apologetically. The girl twisted her smile upside down and looked at the floor.

"Oh," she said sadly.

Starfire felt a small twang of sympathy for this little girl. After all, it wasn't everyday you got to meet a hero. Let alone get to talk to them.

"What is your name?" she asked, coming closer to the window.

"Oh! It's Miranda!" she said, suddenly perking up.

"I am very pleased to meet you, Miranda!" Starfire said with a slight giggle. She held out her hand, as though to shake the girl's, but instead of shaking it, the girl reached out and hugged it.

"You're my favorite hero, you know," Miranda said softly. Starfire melted, every single worry washing away with a blush in her face.

"Starfire!" Raven's voice shouted from below.

"Good-bye, my friend, Miranda," Starfire said quickly, reluctantly pulling her hand from Miranda's grip and dropping down to the ground herself. Miranda leaned as far out of her window as she could, waving down at them.

"Come on," Raven said impatiently, ignoring the little girl and her waves. "Let's--"

"And you're my favorite too, Raven!" the girl suddenly called. Raven blinked and glanced up at her, a slight blush coming to her face. But then the girl added, "Even if you are a bit of a poopy-pants!"

* * *

A/N Aw... cute ending for this chapter. R&R&R. Read, review, and yodel! Wait... yodel doesn't start with R... hrm… maybe it does in Romania.


	3. And Continues

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 3: And Continues...**

**Disclaimer:** While I have claim on Robin's soul and sanity, they are simply fictional aspects of a fictional character that has special projection from kidnapping because he's COPYRIGHTED. scoffs Loser WB and DC people, ruining my fun...

**Rating Reminder:** Rated M for... erm... whatever M means. The fanfic version of rated R. Not for kiddies. Well, don't get me wrong! Teen Titans is for kids. That is, until I grab hold of it and throw in the blood and gore and language that is present in this fanfic. drools Blood... gore...

**Author's Note:**

**_ATTENCION!!_**

_**This is REUPDATED! That means that Chapter 2 is TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOW! So, if you're one of those people who, liek, added this story and forgot about it, but kinda remember it, read from Ch2 onwards - it's a whole different story.**  
_

**  
**Okay, yes, I am a huge failure. I've abandoned this story for THREE YEARS!! I had it all written up through chapter 7, and then... I fell in love with a jerk, and got depressed, and stopped writing completely. And THEN, I lost pretty much all the story I had ever wrote, and lost the outlines and everything. But, I stumbled upon these chapters while I was on my mom's laptop. They are the new chapters 2 and 3 and 4 of my story :) Enjoy! And now that I have a normal boyfriend, I hope to finally finish this. (I'm buying the seasons of Teen Titans in order to do so. )

* * *

"See! I told you!"

"Would you be quiet?"

Cyborg tried as best as possible to ignore Beast Boy's whines as he drove toward the center of town, to where Starfire and Raven were avidly searching for more clues to Robin's whereabouts. They had gone through the rest of Robin's path with absolutely no leads. It took them just a little over an hour, ending with pizza, which, to Beast Boy's joy, was Robin's last stop before he went on a straight-but-curvy route to his disappearance. From the data provided, the GPS height measurements and speed tracker, it was clear to see that the whole path was spent as Robin's patrols usually did - from rooftop to rooftop.

"Crosswalk! CROSSWALK!"

Cyborg hit the brakes, his stomach dropping to his feet as he pressed them both down to the floor. The car screeched to a halt just before it could hit a few preteen boys who were running across, tossing a football amongst themselves and laughing up a storm.

"I'm driving here!" Cyborg shouted, spit splattering upon the windshield. The kids didn't seem to hear him at all as they went past. He growled impatiently as he waited for them to finish their crossing (though it only took them three seconds). Then he floored it and went screaming through the busy downtown city streets, Beast Boy complaining and lecturing him on his pitiful driving skills the whole way.

Down at their destination, Starfire was busy going door-to-door, knocking and asking anyone who was home if they heard or saw anything.

"No, I didn't hear any "disturbances" last night," one large, disgusting man told her when she knocked on his door. He coughed and leaned up against the doorframe in nothing but boxers, staring the Tamaranian girl up and down with a sneer. Starfire could sense the strong, dusty smell of liquor on him and backed slowly away. "But if you stick around with me for a drink or two, we could make some lovely 'disturbances...'"

She cursed at him in Tamaranian and stormed off to continue her search on another floor. Some Earthlings just had no respect…

Raven, meanwhile, was back in the alleyway. She lifted the lid on the lone dumpster, causing a harsh blast of warm, putrid air to slam into her face. She grunted in disgust before throwing the lid completely open, revealing the rotting, disgusting mess within. She used her powers to till through the garbage, turning it over and swiping it aside in order to see at least a glimpse of everything inside there. A small part of her had actually feared finding Robin's mangled corpse buried deep beneath the mounds of rotten food. But after several minutes of overturning filth failed to turn up even a small clue, let alone a dead Titan, she wasn't sure whether it was a step forward, or a step back.

With a flick of her wrist, the dumpster slammed shut, its sound echoing darkly in the empty alley. She turned to lean against it, staring down at the ground in deep thought.

It took a few moments to realize what she was seeing in the loose asphalt below her. She bent down, looking closely, and barely made out the signs of wheels in the otherwise packed and rocky alley. She craned her head, looking for more of the track. She could see that it led up to a single door to her left, and disappeared off into the street at her right. Following it that way, she made her way onto the sidewalk and glanced it up and down. There were no signs of the track beyond a brief trail of dirt, heading north. And then, with a small leap of triumph in her stomach, she saw a shopping cart thrown haphazardly behind a line of trashcans, its width and wheels appearing to match those of the tracks.

A hundred different questions seemed to fill her mind as she stepped over to the cart and pulled it upright, using her cape to prevent her fingerprints from covering others. Was this cart used to transport Robin away from the crime? And if it was, where was he now, and who took him? And why would someone use a shopping cart from the Jolly Jack Toy Store, over five miles away.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the harsh screeching of tires, and a high-pitched squeal.

"Let me out!" Beast Boy screamed, throwing the car door open and diving out, before Cy had even moved to shift into park. He landed hard on the sidewalk and kissed the cement before turning to glare at the car. "I'm never going in that metal deathtrap again!"

"Aw, you say that every time," Cy said smugly, shutting off the engine and stepping out of the car. "Admit it. You enjoy the thrill."

"Cyborg," said another voice. "You have not been irresponsible once more behind the wheel of your automobile, have you?"

Starfire had just appeared from the apartment building. She was twirling her hair absentmindedly, but had her gaze set sharply on the half-robot. "You know, Cyborg, as a fighter of the crime, you ought to be setting a more noble example for the persons of this city. If they were to know that one of such standing as yourself--"

"Oh no! You don't get it Star. I have special privileg-"

"Says who?!" Beast Boy spat. "If I were seen driving like that, they'd haul me off and give me twenty hours of community service and a parole officer!"

"Beast Boy, you get anywhere NEAR a car and you'd get--"

"I found something."

The low, toneless voice broke into their bickering like a small rock through a window. They turned to look at Raven, who was still standing beside the shopping cart. The argument was forgotten, and the other Titans stepped over to her.

"What is it?" Starfire asked.

"A shopping cart?" Beast Boy asked skeptically.

"Yes. There are tracks leading from a door in the alley to here."

Cyborg turned abruptly away, suddenly very serious, and strode briskly to the alley. The others, slightly stunned, followed.

"This one?" he asked unnecessarily, gesturing to the only door in the alley. Raven nodded anyway.

"I haven't looked yet."

Cyborg lifted his arm, and with a whirr, his sonic canon was locked and charged. He pointed it at the door, and the high screech of it preparing to fire pierced their ears.

"Maybe I should just unlock it," Raven suggested, laying a hand on Cyborg's arm. "No need to destroy every door we encounter." With a simple twitch of her fingers, there was a click, and the door swung inward on its own.

"Oh, fine, we do it your way," Cyborg said gruffly, reassembling his arm as the four of them crossed the threshold and down a short flight of stairs.

They found themselves inside a large basement. It smelled of mold and moth balls, and once their eyes adjusted to the dim green glow provided by Starfire, they saw that its only contents were a couple of old cardboard boxes and a furnace.

"Split up and look around," Cyborg instructed, flipping up his shoulder flashlight and moving toward the furnace. The Titans did just that. They scoured the ground, searching every dark corner. Beast Boy transformed into a dog and began sniffing around. After a few minutes of searching with no luck, the Titans were startled by a large hounddog howl.

"I found it," Beast Boy whispered darkly, and everyone crowded around him.

"Found what?" asked Cyborg.

They all peered closer in the dim light, and a cold silence enveloped them.

"His transmitter," Cyborg finally breathed.

It was completely destroyed, its screen cracked, wires poking everywhere, the microchip snapped in half and dangling from a single wire from the metallic T of the cover.

"Wow... whoever it was, they were sure to make it not work," Beast Boy muttered, bending over to look closer as Raven lifted it with her powers and placed it into an evidence bag.

"We'll check it for prints when we get back to the lab," Cyborg said, taking the bag from Raven. He glanced over at the two girls. "Did you guys ask around for witnesses?"

"Yes," Starfire answered. "And it came up negative but for a small girl, but she did not have much to say about the altercations that may have occurred. She said Robin had dropped past her window to help a woman who was in need of assistance. She could not see too well, but the two bad men he fought were described as 'big' and 'bad.'"

"That doesn't help us much," muttered Beast Boy. "That's, like, half our enemies."

"Lets keep searching," Cyborg said. "If we don't find anything else in the next fifteen minutes, we'll head back to Titan Tower and do some forensic analysis on Robin's communicator."

"And maybe figure out who's behind this," Raven muttered.

"We don't have much to go on, though…" Beast Boy said in a low voice before turning back into a dog and sniffing further into the corner. The other three Titans glanced between one another. Who could possibly have been behind this?


	4. Clowning Around

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 4: Clowning Around?  
**

**Disclaimer:** While I have claim on Robin's soul and sanity, they are simply fictional aspects of a fictional character that has special projection from kidnapping because he's COPYRIGHTED. scoffs Loser WB and DC people, ruining my fun...

**Rating Reminder:** Rated M for... erm... whatever M means. The fanfic version of rated R. Not for kiddies. Well, don't get me wrong! Teen Titans is for kids. That is, until I grab hold of it and throw in the blood and gore and language that is present in this fanfic. drools Blood... gore...

**Author's Note:**

Don't have too much to say - this was in the previous incarnation of RotJ. However, with the revamp of the Titans' experience, I had to shift this further to "surprise" people. Hope you enjoy! R&R and stuff!

* * *

It was the scent of dust and the hum of electricity that first caught Robin's attention as he slid back to conciousness. He was aware of it, but that was just before the pain erupted in his head, and all thoughts of it were erased. He cried out despite himself, screwing his eyes up against the pain, mentally telling it to go away. But it wouldn't. If anything, it grew worse.

Damn that woman, Robin cursed silently, trying to reach up a hand to massage his pounding head, but realized with a jolt that he couldn't. Straps secured him tightly to a flat surface, not just by his wrists, but by his ankles and waist as well.

_I've been captured..._

Panic shot through him as he pried his eyes open. He tried to pull against his restraints, testing their strength, seeing if he could pull himself loose and get out of here, but they didn't feel like would give out anytime soon. His head pounded all the more as he took a look around him.

He was in a small room, lit only by a flickering blue glow created by some crackling electricity behind him. The walls on either side of him were lined with huge metal structures, incredibly old, outdated computers. He could see dials, switches, and meters along their surfaces. Wires sprouted from beneath them, snaking along the floor in many directions, some heading out a curtain lying directly before him, acting as another wall. And finally, off to one side stood a long table, where Robin could see the shadowy outlines of a large assortment of items, but couldn't quite identify them all in the faint light... was that a plunger?

_Where the hell am I?_ he wondered, tugging again at his restraints, but of course, they wouldn't give.

It wasn't long before he became aware of something else. Music had appeared from somewhere. A wave of unease washed over him as he stopped his struggling to listen. It sounded like a sort of upbeat carnival song. Robin sighed. It was way too typical. He should have seen it coming.

The curtain flew open suddenly and the room became fully illuminated with an intense light. Robin cried out in alarm and threw his head to one side, shutting his eyes in attempt to keep the brightness away from his sensitive eyes. The volume of the music increased, and there was the sound of a tooting party horn.

"Welcome, Robin! Welcome to the party!" said a cheerful, high-pitched voice before a second blow of the party horn right against Robin's ear nearly deafened him. Robin squinted against the blinding light, his eyes adjusting far too slowly for his patience. He was just barely able to make out the tall, strong build of the villain that stood there, teetering slightly on his feet, seeming more excited than a child given a lifetime's supply of his favorite candy. His purple suit stood out brilliantly against the white light flooding into the room.

"Aw, now why are you looking at me like that?" Joker asked, feigning sadness. "I thought you would be happy to see me! It's been far too long."

Robin glared up at the Joker's haunting white face. "You..." he growled. "What are you doing? Where am I? What the hell do you want?"

Joker's beaming white face took on a look of feigned innocence, and he scratched his head. "Oh so many questions. You know, if I had known there would be a test, I would have studied."

Robin grimaced, his head pounding worse than ever as he stared up at the Joker, who's piercing red gaze held his own for several moments before he looked away thoughtfully.

"Well, my little birdbrain," the Joker said, beginning to pace back and forth before Robin with a slight bounce in his step, his hands clasped behind his back. "I just got to missing you, I suppose. You just got up and left Gotham without me being able to throw you a farewell party. I must admit, I felt quite rejected..."

"I'm sure about that," Robin grumbled.

"So I asked myself," Joker continued, as though Robin hadn't said anything,"'Why not have one anyway? A belated farewell party is better than none at all!' 'Oh, but no,' I answered. 'He would never accept such an invitation. Not willingly anyway.'"

Robin gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, straining against his bindings, wanting nothing more than to give this man a good hard kick in the mouth.

"Oh, now, now, Birdbrain! Don't be so restless!" Joker said with a laugh. "I know you're excited. After all, we have so many party games planned! Truth or dare, dress-up, charades, spin-the-bottle."

Robin was unable to hold back an outcry of disgust at the last one.

"Oh, well, maybe not that last one. We'd have to see what sort of mood Harley's in," he added with a wink.

"Yeah? And where is she?" Robin growled, as the image of her swinging a mallet around at him swam through his throbbing head.

"Oh, she's out and about, getting together the party favors and ordering the pizza. But that's okay. We can start the party without her..."

"Quit clowning, Joker," Robin spat. "Tell me what it is you are planning!"

"What I'm planning?" the Joker repeated, a whoop of laughter jumping into the middle of his sentence. He raised his hand and gave Robin a few hard raps on the head with his knuckles, causing his head to give a particularly nasty throb of pain. "Now, now, Robin. You and I have both seen far too many movies to know that you never reveal your master plan to even your most favorite of enemies, no matter how close you are to winning."

"Besides," Joker went on, his voice dropping to a dark coldness, his eyes blazing with mania. "I have already told you what I'm planning. Games. Lots of fun games..."

A freezing shudder ran down Robin's spine at the tone of Joker's voice, and the way he was staring at him... an incredible sense of foreboding flooded the young Titan's heart. The Joker stepped slowly up to him, his eyes flashing with an intense anger and hatred as he stared the boy deeply in the eye.

"Trust me, Robin..." he said dangerously, his face contorting into the most malicious smile he could possibly manage. "We will have tons of laughs together..."

_This is not good..._


	5. Barbeque

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 5: Barbeque**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Titans or the Joker or Batman or any of that DC/Warner Bros stuff… it tears me up inside, but it's the truth, and I am in no way gaining anything through the creation of this story other than the deepest satisfaction of making people nervous. :D

**Rating Reminder:** This is considered to be Rated R/M, because this is bad stuff here, doncha know. There's lots of blood and gore and language and nudity and stuff like that, I'm sure, so read at your own risk!!

**Author's Note:**

Saw the new Batman movie last night! I made the mistake of taking my almost-9-year-old brother to see it, and spent most of the time with my hands over his eyes or ears. I absolutely loved it though... so sick... and twisted... so much death... mmmmmhmmhmmmmmmm good stuff!

Heath Ledger was probably the greatest Joker ever…. Sorry Mark Hamill, but you may have been overthrown. It just makes me all the more sad that he died earlier this year. RIP my love.

Due to popular demand, another round of Robin fun is here for your viewing pleasure. I was initially going to go back to the Titans, but you guys persuaded me otherwise. Please enjoy, R&R, and I also have comments to reviews down at the end of the chapter.

ALSO: If you haven't already, watch Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog!!

* * *

Footsteps echoed around the room as the Joker paced back and forth before Robin, his malicious red eyes never leaving the Teen Titan. Robin watched him with equal intensity. No word had been spoken between them for some time, and Robin was growing more anxious with each moment that passed. The pounding in his head had begun to subside, and as it did, questions began to chatter back and forth in his mind. What was the Joker going to do with him? Where were they? How long had he been unconscious for? How long would it take for the others to realize he was gone? How long until they found him?

The Joker paused in his march, his hand coming up to rub against his chin in thought. He furrowed his eyebrows, and then broke into a wide grin.

"A Barbeque!" he exclaimed with a whoop. "That's what we should do while we wait for Harley! Girls hate all that barbequing stuff, am I right, my boy? And as you see, I already have the grill all set up! What luck!" He motioned towards an old round charcoal grill which was sitting on the other side of the table. Robin looked at it intently, his forehead crinkling in a mixture of puzzlement and concern. What sort of charcoal grill had wires?

The Joker stepped over to the table and grabbed a white apron that lay amongst the mess of stuff. He pulled it over his head – it said "Kiss the Cook" on the front – and tied it behind his back before yanking a chefs hat over his head.

"Yes! A barbeque is exactly what we'll do!" he chirruped with a sing-song voice. "Oh, you'll enjoy it, birdbrain! It'll be a real scream."

The villian ended the sentence in a low, threatening tone. Robin felt a bead of sweat trickle past his ear, that same sense of foreboding passing over him. He watched the Joker with sharp eyes, watching his every move, trying as hard as he could to keep his sense of dread at bay.

The Joker stepped over to the grill and leaned over its round lid, giving the air above it a whiff. Robin raised an eyebrow. There was nothing to smell, except the dusty, sour smell of the room.

"Mmmm," said the Joker, licking his lips. "I'll bet you're hungry, aren't you? You were napping for quite some time."

Robin ignored him, and the empty feeling in his gut.

"Don't worry, there's enough for everyone…"

The Joker twiddled his fingers in the air over the handle of the lide, a look of deep hunger on his face which Robin knew had nothing to do with food. The young teen found himself tugging on his restraints. Maybe he could break one of the restraints loose, and get himself out of this.

The Joker gripped the handle on the lid of the grill and yanked it off, throwing it aside with a clamor that echoed off the walls of the room. He reached in. Robin strained to see what was inside, but the angle wasn't right. Then, the Joker straightened, and in his hands he gripped two giant metal clamps, which were attached to the wires Robin noticed before. He clapped the clamps together, and electricity zapped and crackled brightly around them. Robin froze, cold dread radiating out from his core, sending uncontrollable shivers through his arms and legs. He took deep, harsh breathes, trying to calm himself down.

_Don't scream… don't shake… don't give him the pleasure of seeing you afraid…that's just what he wants…_

The Joker was closing in, holding the clamps before him. Robin held his breath, watching the clown stepping closer and closer.

"You're sick," Robin spat as the Joker loomed over him.

The clown simply grinned that horrible smile, and leaned over, attaching one of the clamps to the right side of Robin's platform, right near his leg. Panic began to set in hard; Robin threw himself against the restraints again. He had to get away. The madman was going to kill him with that much electricity. The Joker fastened the remaining clamp on the other side, and leaned in towards Robin, his warm breath tickling his ear.

"Now, now, no need to get fidgety, son" the villain whispered dangerously. "Everything'll be cooked up real soon…"

The Joker made his way back around Robin, stepping off towards one of the giant computers to Robin's right. There was a large switch, and Robin saw the wires connecting his table to it. A wave of pure terror washed over him as the Joker gripped its handle, preparing to pull. The teen braced himself.

The world went numb for a split second, every hair on his body prickling with static. And then, the electricity hit. It shredded through his being, through his skeleton, through his very soul. All thought of resistance abandoned him, and he screamed out in agony, thrashing against the straps holding him fast to the metal table. The pain surged through his body past endurance. His mind had gone white, his chest felt like it was going to burst open. He was going to die. He knew it. There was no way in hell he wasn't...

But just as the reality of death hit, it was over. A strong ache still lingered in his arms and legs, but it was over... Robin hung loosely against his restraints, gasping for breath, hardly able to believe he was still conscious. Sweat and tears trickled down his face, and he kept his eyes shut tight.

"How was it?" whispered the Joker's voice menacingly in his ear, sending a visible shudder through Robin's body. "Are you still hungry? There's plenty more where that came from..."

Robin held back a reply. He had made it through once, and he was determined to do it again. He wasn't going to speak, he wasn't going to give in. He wasn't going to give the Joker what he wanted - whether it was information on the Titans or Batman, or just seeing Robin suffer, he wasn't going to give in without a fight.

But how can you fight, when you are strapped to a electrical table in the middle of a mad scientist's dream room come true?

After a few moments of silence, the Joker gave a small chuckle.

"Alrighty, have it your way."

_No!_

The Joker slammed the switch again, and the energy seared to life once again, bolting through his body, feeling like it was ripping to shreds every sinew of muscle it passed through. The pain went on longer this time. By the time the Joker cut off the electricity's flow, Robin was barely conscious, and he could not stop his damaged body from shaking violently. The smell of burning hair and skin bit at his nostrils, making his stomach lurch violently. A horrible silence fell, broken only by Robin's heavy breathing, and after several minutes, he felt he had no choice but to open his eyes and look up. The clown's hand was still gripping the switch, his face more sinister and happy than ever.

"I hope you're having fun, Robin, because the party's just getting started."

Robin swallowed hard, fear coursing through him as the Joker began whooping with maniacal laughter. But he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the pain. Nothing he was willing to do anyway. He braced himself for another round, tears welling up in his eyes. In the back of his mind, he saw his friends, the Teen Titans… He tried to hold onto their faces as tightly as he could as the switch slammed down, agony washing over him once again.

They were coming for him… they had to be… any moment now, it would all be over… and he would be on his way back home… that's how it always happened…

_...any moment now…_

_

* * *

_


	6. Back at Titans Tower

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 6: Back at Titans Tower**

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine… sadly… painfully… tortuously…

**Rating Reminder**: Rated M, possibly even MA, because horrible pain and blood and all that good stuff is to come.

**Author's Note:** Wow, thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I am all set to bring more to the masses! Keep on reading and reviewing and loving!! It's what keeps me going!

* * *

The sun was setting, casting long columns of warm light across the floor of the common room of Titans Tower. Starfire gazed down at the orange glow from where she stood at the kitchen counter, lost in thought.

It had been a very long day of searching, and they were no closer to finding Robin than they had been that morning, when they found his communicator. They had questioned everyone in the two buildings, gone through dumpsters, sought out old hiding places of some of their past nemeses (mainly, Slade), but found nothing. Even the clues they found helped little – there were no fingerprints on Robin's transmitter or grappling hook, and there were millions of prints on the shopping cart – it was a piece of public equipment after all. But none of the prints led to a possible suspect, that was, unless Old Lady Hillary Montgomery of North Jump City was a secret mass terrorist…

She sighed. They were nearly out of leads. She hoped Cyborg would find something out at the Jolly Jack Toy Store, where the shopping cart was found. Maybe someone had noticed some dark menacing figure take the shopping cart without permission…

Really, she was just worried about Robin. She hoped he was alright, wherever he was. But where could he possibly be…? And who could possibly have taken him…?

"Starfire… STARFIRE! IT'S BURNING!!"

Starfire was snapped from her thoughts, and she cried out as she noticed the column of smoke billowing out of the oven. She grappled for some oven mitts as she made her way over to it, throwing the door open and yanking the pan out. It wasn't just overcooked – it was on fire. She threw it on the counter and quickly grabbed a pitcher of lemonade sitting nearby, and with a heave, threw it on the flames, dousing them.

"Aw maaaaan..." moaned a voice from the couch. "Great. The pizza's ruined." Beast Boy made his way over to the counter and plopped down on a stool, resting is chin on the countertop, staring at the ruined pizza longingly. "I've been craving pizza all day, and that was our last one! Now what?"

He watched Starfire as she leaned towards the pizza curiously. She tore off a bit and threw it into her mouth. Beast Boy sat straight up in horrified disgust as the Tamaranian chewed the pizza thoughtfully, swallowed, and beamed at him.

"Ruined? On the contrary, friend, I think it is an improvement," she said to him as she tore another bit off and popped it into her mouth. "Crispy AND slimy, with the right blend of flavors. Reminds me of an old Tamaranian dish…"

"Then count me out," Beast Boy sighed, getting off the stool and going to the fridge to see what else he could find to eat.

Suddenly, the big metallic doors of the room slid open with a scraping whine. The two Titans in the kitchen spun around to see Cyborg walking in, a look of defeat on his face. Beast Boy closed the door to the fridge, feeling his heart fall. "Didn't find out anything?" he asked.

"Nothing," Cyborg replied. "Nothing! The toy store people barely even notice when carts go missing, much less if they take one and shove it into a van and drive five miles away with it." He plopped down at the kitchen counter, leaning a head on his hand. "Looks like we're out of leads."

"Not necessarily," Starfire said. "Raven is still downstairs taking another look at the evidence we've obtained. Perhaps there is a print on the shopping cart that you missed."

"I'm telling you, I picked up hundreds of prints off that cart and none of them led to anyone suspicious. Just normal everyday people shopping for their kids at a second-rate toy store." The half-robot absentmindedly reached for the pizza, not noticing its ruined state. He tore off a piece, took a bite, and a look of pure revulsion washed over the human side of his face before he bent over and spat it out on the counter. "Oh, gawd! Tastes like someone piddled on it after burning it."

"Actually, it was lemonade. I had to put out the flames," said Starfire apologetically.

"Man…" Cyborg said, getting up and going to the fridge. Beast Boy took the other boy's seat and swept away the chewed up pizza with a flick of his hand.

"Whoever took Robin did a good job of hiding his tracks…" Beast Boy said. "It's gotta be Slade," he added darkly. "Who else would do something like this to Robin?"

"Yeah, I'm leaning towards Slade, too, but this isn't his usual approach," Cyborg murmured, scrounging around in the fridge for something edible, preferably mold-free. "It just… doesn't feel like Slade."

"It's possible he learned his lesson after every other time he got his butt whooped..."

"Yeah, even you were able to destroy one of his Slade-bots, BB" Cyborg joked. "He's gotten soft."

"Hey! I resent that!" Beast Boy snarled, jumping on Cyborg's back in the form of a big baboon, grabbing the bigger Titan around the eyes so he couldn't see.

"Augh! Gerrofme, Bea!" Cyborg hollered.

"Friends, please," cried out Starfire, grabbing onto Beast Boy, struggling to pry him off the robotic teen. "Let us have none of this fighting!" She yanked the green primate off Cyborg and they both crashed to the ground. Beast Boy returned to normal and chuckled.

"Come on, Star, I wasn't fighting I was just being a little silly."

"Silliness is not what we need right now," Starfire said angrily, getting to her feet and brushing herself off. "We still have no idea where Robin is, the sun is almost down. It's almost been a whole day since we last saw him! And this silliness is keeping us from being on-track with the mind-storming of who his kidnappers may be."

"She's right," Cyborg answered, lifting up a tubberware container of questionable contents that got knocked out of the fridge during the scramble. "Let's get Raven, and sit down and really think this through, okay? And we'll order a pizza so our hunger doesn't keep our minds preoccupied," he added, looking at Beast Boy.

"I'm down with that," the changeling said, grabbing the phone as Starfire began cleaning up the mess from the first pizza and Cyborg headed out to find the fourth Teen Titan.

* * *

Down in the laboratory in the chambers deep in the heart of Titans Tower, the task of dusting for fingerprints on an old dilapidated shopping cart had long been abandoned. The young, purple-haired girl that was supposed to be doing more analysis was instead sitting crosslegged in the middle of the air, her eyes closed and her mind far from Titans Tower.

She was searching for him, for Robin, searching just like she had when he was being haunted by Slade. But this time, he wasn't in Titans Tower… at this point, she didn't even think he was in the city. She sensed he was out there, somewhere – he wasn't dead, anyway – but she couldn't pinpoint exactly where he was.

She took a deep, calming breath, trying to settle any nerves she had and trying to focus on what she was doing. She muttered a mantra under her breath to focus, to go even deeper into her meditative state. Her mind reached out, tendrils of thought, flowing, sensing through trees and across mountains…

_Robin… where are you…?_

And then, she felt him. The feeling was so faint, and so far away she couldn't even pinpoint where on a globe he could be, but she felt him. She struggled with all her energy, trying to reach out further, trying to connect with him fully, trying to figure out where he was… she was so close….

_Robin..._

_...Raven...?_

Then, a surge of pain struck her, searing through every muscle like lava. She screamed out in startled agony and thrashed out against it, causing her to tumble from the air to the floor below, landing with a painful thud.

Just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped as the connection broke. She lay in a heap on the floor, her body shaking from the shock. Her head ached dully, and her mind felt numb and broken. It took her a few moments to even grab hold of a single thought.

_What the heck was that?_

"Raven!"

The door on the other side of the room had slid open, and now the heavy pounding of metal footsteps hurried to her side. She rolled over and pushed herself to her hands and knees as she felt Cyborg's hands on her shoulders.

"I heard you scream from all the way down the hall," he exclaimed as he helped her sit back on her heels. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I was… trying to find Robin…" she muttered, pressing a hand to her face, feeling a cold sweat beneath her fingers.

"You mean, like, mentally? So, what happened?"

Raven screwed up her face a little, trying to think. "I… I nearly found him… I was so close… and then…." Her eyes snapped open as she understood. "Wait… that was Robin… that _was_ Robin!"

Cyborg stared at her a little confused. "Rae, what…?"

"That was his pain I must've felt…" she gasped, suddenly alert. "He's… he's in pain... He's being tortured…"

Cyborg gaped at her with wide, fearful eyes. "No… but who… where…?"

"I don't know…" Raven said darkly. "I don't know where he is, or who has him…. All I know is he's nowhere near Jump City…."

Cyborg rested on his knees beside her, staring at the ground with a look of complete loss.

"The world beyond Jump City is so huge… how are we going to find him…?"

Raven looked over towards the window, at the brilliant red of the nearly-set sun. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought, and gave a sigh of defeat. "I think we're going to need a little more help…"

* * *

**A/N**

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!! **

A few things I'd like to say to some of my reviewers:

One, to those of you who HAVE seen the awesome movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, I hope you've seen the UNCUT version! I mean, the normal version is fine, but the UNCUT version is SO TWISTED! You get to see Robin get electrocuted, there's a whole lot more fighting, and there's none of that "Joker accidentally electrocutes himself" crap. He fricken gets SHOT! Not saying who did it though. So yeah! If you haven't seen it, get your hands on it. It's amazing.

Willowleaf2560: The only live-action movies I've seen Dark Knight, and tidbits from older movies. The Joker portrayed here is good ol 1990's Batman: The Animated Series Joker, who was played by Mark Hamill (better known as Luke Skywalker ), and the Batman Beyond movie is animated and uses the same Joker (basically).

Armanifan: Constantly checking emails? I'm timing you. :P Just kidding.


	7. Calling All Titans

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker****  
**

**Chapter 7: Calling All Titans**

**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

**Rating:** M for violence and all that good stuff. PROBABLY could be rated T, but I don't want to take any chances.

**Author's Note:**

This is a short, but necessary, chapter. And just so you know, my Spanish probably sucks royally. Just... a warning. :P I did grow up an hour from the Mexican border and took classes in high school, so I know a little bit, but not much. Google Translates did the rest, so if it's wrong, sorry. I've included translations at the end. Enjoy!

* * *

"Check and mate!"

"No fricken way!"

"Uh huh! Read it and weep, Speedy!"

"Nuh uh…" the archer bent over with eyebrows furrowed, giving the chessboard a good, hard look, glancing between the different pieces that remained. He grabbed his King, then saw that he really couldn't move it. It was checkmate. He growled and glared up at Aqualad "You little punk! I can't believe it! I had a strategy this time!"

"And I still whooped your skinny butt!"

It was one of those rare bits of downtime at the Titans East Tower. Bumblebee glanced up from her book at the two teens at the table nearby. Speedy got to his feet and leaned toward Aqualad, reaching over and poking him hard in the shoulder.

"Skinny?! Look who's talking, scaly-butt!"

Aqualad jumped to his feet and puffed his chest out angrily.

"What did you call me?!"

Speedy turned around and shook his rear end at the other boy, taunting in a sing-song voice. "Scay-lee Butt!!"

"Why you little-!" growled Aqualad. The two boys seemed ready to kill each other. Bumblebee figured it was time to intervene.

"Okay, you two, break it up," she said with a yawn from her couch, looking back at her book. "Speedy, Aqualad won fair and square for the fourth time in a row. Why don't you two just take a break from the board games for awhile, and stop with the childish namecalling."

"Aw, but we were looking forward to nice post-chess scuffle," bemoaned Speedy. "It's tradition now!"

"I even had the Nerf guns ready!" Aqualad announced, raising up two plastic toy guns and aiming one at the blond-haired boy, firing a foam dart right at his head. Speedy gave a laughing shout and dove after him, ripping a gun out of the Atlantean's hands and turning it against him.

"¡Queremos jugar con armas de juguete, tambien!" cried out the little twins, Más y Menos. One leapt onto the other's shoulders and they sped around the roughhousing older boys, managing to wrangle free the two Nerf guns, then proceeded to chase after them, everyone laughing.

"¡Revolución! ¡Revolución!" the twins cried out together.

"Revolution my BUTT!" laughed Speedy, diving at the two and struggling to wrestle a gun from their grips.

"Your SKINNY butt!" Aqualad joked, standing back to watch the mayhem.

"Hey! Who asked you?!"

"¡Ay! ¡Dios Mio!" shouted Más y Menos in unison as they fought against the archer, Nerf darts flying everywhere and sticking to all the metal walls.

Bumblebee could not help but laugh. She loved watching her boys when they got like this. It was like they were very close brothers, like they were all one big family. The perfect team.

A loud buzzing ring broke through the laughing and grunting of the wrestling teens. They all halted mid-movement, frozen with arms in punching positions and teeth nearly biting arms (in the case of the small twins). They all turned to look at the command center computer, where Bumblebee stood, pressing the button to answer the call.

"Yo, Sparky! Long time, no talk!" she exclaimed happily as the half chocolatey brown, half metallic face of Cyborg appeared on the large screen before her.

"Hey, Bee. Sorry for callin you guys so late. I know there's a three hour time difference…"

"No worries. It's not like we have a bedtime. What's up?"

"We need your guys' help," the other Titan said seriously. "Robin's disappeared."

"Robin disappeared?" Speedy repeated incredulously, releasing his hold on Más. "Like, ran away disappeared, or kidnapped disappeared?"

"Kidnapped," the Titan on the screen said dully. "Sometime last night…"

"Who could kidnap Robin?" Aqualad interrupted. "He's one of the strongest of all of us,"

"I know, but he's gone. Raven's done some searching with her powers and has established that not only is he nowhere near Jump City, but that he is also in great pain and danger. We have no idea who might have taken him, or where exactly he may be, but we need as much help as we can get keeping an eye out for him."

"Puedes depender de nosotros," the two younger boys called out sternly, holding up their hands in V-shapes.

"Yeah, you can count on us," Bumblebee agreed. "We've actually noticed a lot of HIVE activity here recently. I wouldn't be surprised if they had something to do with it."

"I think those guys'd want to go after me more than Robin," Cyborg muttered almost to himself. "After leaving them without a leader…"

Aqualad shrugged. "He's a Titan, and like I already mentioned, one of the best of us. I'm sure they'd love to take him down."

"But we're still just one small part of the country," said Bumblebee thoughtfully. "Who else are you going to contact for help? The Justice League, or Batman?"

A dark expression crossed Cyborg's face. "Robin has long ago made it clear that he never wanted Batman's help if he got in trouble. The stupid damn notion he has about proving to the old man that he's an accomplished superhero, without him."

"But Robin had a life fighting crime before the Teen Titans," Speedy piped up. "He probably left behind some very upset villains back at Gotham who would still love to have a piece of him."

"After all this time?" Cyborg asked doubtfully. "Why would they be attacking him now?"

"It's just a thought, Sparky, and definitely one to look into."

"Well, if any clues turn up pointing to Gotham, we'll contact Batman. It's his neck of the woods and his villains. But for now, we keep searching elsewhere. I've got more Titans to get a hold of. Let us know if you find out anything."

"Sure thing, Sparky."

Cyborg's face was replaced with their normal screensaver, signaling that the call was through. Bumblebee looked back at the boys, who all seemed dumbfounded.

"I can't believe Robin got himself kidnapped. What kind of klutz lets that happen?" Speedy muttered with a hint of exasperation to his voice. He and Robin had always had a sort of rivalry between them.

"I think a better question is what kind of bad guy is able to pull it off," replied Bumblebee in a low voice, crossing her arms. A cold shudder ran through her. "I've got a very bad feeling about all of this…"

* * *

Translations:

¡Queremos jugar con armas de juguete, tambien! We want to play with toy guns, too!

¡Ay! ¡Dios Mio! Ah, my God! (basically)

Puedes depender de nosotros You can depend on us!

* * *

Author's Note: I've been sick out of my gourd... and this explains why I've been getting so many chapters up recently. I've been stuck at home and while very sick, alsovery clear-headed and able to write. I can't say I ordinarily like colds, but YAY for this one! It's, like, some kind of weird muse allergy struck me or something, I dunno. :P I have a few more chapters to post soon. I just have to decide which ones to put where, cuz they're kinda interchangable in that it's things happening at roughly the same time, but I'm pretty sure I've got it figured out...

Also, thanks to y'all who've been reviewing, and a SCHPECIAL shout-out to **xrockin-robin** (HI!) for being so awesome as to reply to EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER while reading this! I like hearing about people's reactions to things, and I hope I continue to be so good at this. Robin Forever! WEWT!!


	8. Lots of Laughs

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 8: Lots of Laughs  
**

**Disclaimer: **((bursts into tears)) Not mine, none of it's mine, STOP MAKING ME SAY IT! ((hiccup)) It's pure torture…

**Rating:** M, and I'm going to keep reminding you all of this… particularly for the next chapter. ;)

**Author's Note:** Do you know what I love? It's how much space can be filled with a little character development stream of conciousness. :P What was initially going to be the shortest chapter of the story so far is now one of the longest, just what I wanted. I don't want you guys reading these too terribly quickly, lol!

As always, Read, Review, Enjoy! And may the sporks be with you.

* * *

The lingering pain in his arms and legs and chest was the first thing that Robin noticed as he slid back from nothingness. His entire body felt fried, like an intense fire had ravaged him from the inside out. The distinct smell of burnt hair and skin tickled his nostrils.

_Damn that clown…_

He felt disoriented, disheveled. He wasn't sure which way was up and which way was down. It took a long time before the pull of gravity became clear to his fog-filled mind. It was going straight before him – he was lying down, cheek pressed against the cool surface of a concrete floor, arms lying flat by his side. He groaned again and turned his head, resting his forehead down. The coldness of the floor felt soothing.

He tugged his arm toward him, resting his palm against the floor near his shoulder. The restraints were gone, he noted dully. He folded his other arm into the same position, pressing down, pushing himself up against the heavy blanket of gravity. Its pull felt so strong, muscles complaining loudly as he forced himself to his hands and knees, blinking his tired eyes.

Where was he? All he could see was darkness. He leaned backward, resting on his heels and looking around, fighting the dizziness that was threatening to swallow him up. He blinked a few more times, looking around him, but there was nothing to see. Nothing but black.

A small thread of fear tugged at his heart, but he forced it away. No, he hadn't gone blind. There was a single very tiny blinking red light far above him… probably from a camera, his sluggish mind decided. He dropped his head and pressed his gloved hand against his eye socket, his body still protesting his moving. His mouth was dry, his head pounding from dehydration. He felt like absolute crap.

His mind went back to what happened to him before he blacked out… the Joker's chilling laugh… the charcoal barbeque with the wires… the loud crackling hum of electricity… His stomach lurched, causing him to bend over and grab it, as he remembered just how much electricity he ended up enduring… so many rounds of excruciating pain, one after the other… pausing for air, allowing sweet recollection of a life without pain before bringing it all back again… How long did those volts end up lacerating through his body? How many hours were spent in torture before he finally succumbed to darkness?

He gritted his teeth. He could remember himself screaming… he couldn't believe he allowed himself to scream. He felt angry at his body for not being able to endure the pain longer than it had. He barely withstood it at all. His head pounded harder.

In the end, he realized, it didn't really matter. The point was, he was still alive, and he was still strong. He just had to hold up until his friends rescued him.

His friends… he hoped they were doing okay. He wondered how much time had passed since Harley cracked her mallet over his head… it had to only have been a day, two at the most, but still… He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wondered how they were going to find him… he wondered how long it would take… if they ever found him…

_Don't think like that, _he told himself, shaking his head. _You have to hold onto faith, onto hope that they'll find you… They _will_ find you. They're the Teen Titans. They've never let you down before. But you can't let them down either._

He nodded at his own thoughts, his spirits growing. He was going to get through this. He knew it.

He suddenly grew aware of a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach… a biological feeling. He growled to himself and looked around.

Where the hell do you go to the bathroom when you're being held prisoner?

He got clumsily to his feet, his muscles protesting angrily at the exertion. Arms reached out through the darkness, footsteps echoing as he sought blindly around him. His hand soon collided with a wall. It felt cold, hard, like solid concrete. He rapped his knuckles against it. _Very_ solid concrete. His fingers began to drift along the wall, following it to his right until a few yards later, he hit another wall. He soon worked his way around a short perimeter, a chamber maybe six by eight feet, with a large metal door set into one wall. He grabbed at the door, feeling all around it. It didn't have a handle. Of course. He sighed and chose the corner just to the right of this door to take care of his business. If the Joker didn't want him piddling on the floor, he would've installed a toilet. The teen blushed as he wondered how he would go number two when the time came…

He zipped his fly back up and began buckling his belt when a lightbulb triggered on in his mind. He still had his belt! He patted it and felt around it, wondering if everything was still intact. His fingers tripped a button – two round discuses dispensed into his hand. It took all his energy to suppress the whoop of triumph building in his throat. The Joker had made a very critical error.

Robin was still armed.

He made his way to the wall opposite the door, a discus in each hand. He pulled them into himself, his thumbs flicking their triggers simultaneously, and then swung his arms outward. The discs whistled as they left his hands, clamping onto the metal door, blinking bright yellow. Robin quickly hit the floor, throwing his cape around himself. A blast of hot air encased him, the smell of smoke and gunpower greeting him as the floor shook wildly. His heart pounded as he blindly got to his feet, his cape still pulled around his face as he ran forward to make his escape!

…right into a very warm metal door.

Robin cried out in alarm and fell backwards, the door reverberating with a metallic twang. The bombs had done nothing, nothing but make the room smoky and barely breathable. Robin coughed into his cape, glaring ahead of him. How could his bombs not have worked? He grabbed another two and threw them, shielding himself against the floor. A crashing boom, a wave of heat and flame, the floor trembling beneath him, but still, the door remained intact.

Robin waited for the smoke to clear a little and for the door to cool before approaching it. He laid his hands on it, pressing against it with all his weight – nothing. He backed up and ran to it, heaving his shoulder against it with all his might, sending a crashing wave of pain down his spine. Nothing. He kicked it, slammed his fists on it, but it was relentless. Robin stood back, panting hard. No. Freedom was so close. How could his bombs not have worked?

"Go on, Robin! Keep fighting it! I'm sure it'll give way soon…" echoed a voice through the smoky chamber.

"Joker!" Robin growled, peering around through the darkness. He saw that blinking red light again, and he glared at it. "You lousy shit. Let me out!"

"My, my, such language!" chirped the clown's voice. It was mixed with a little static, coming through a set of speakers high above Robin's head. "I would think the Boy Wonder would be above such foulness."

Robin growled and clenched his hands into fists, causing his tired, burnt muscles to ache dully. Ordinarily, he would be above such cursing, but this was the Joker… he felt it was a good exception.

"You damn coward…" he snarled. His hand snapped to the back of his belt, pulling out his retractable bo staff and flicking it to full length. "Why don't you come in here and fight me face-to-face like a real man!"

"Temper, temper!" the Joker called out. "I think you need to be taught a few manners. Discipline! That's what you need! I tell ya, kids today…"

A loud hissing sound suddenly filled the room. Robin gasped and whirled around, peering frantically into the blackness, trying to see what was going on now.

"Nothing cures a bad attitude like a bit of laughter, am I right?" the Joker hooted.

Robin's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. His bo staff slipped from his shaking fingers as he stepped backwards, a strange scent hitting his nose. Terror was consuming him.

"No…"

The Joker's laugh rang through the chamber, loud and rumbling. Robin dropped to his knees, grabbing his cape and clapping it around his nose and mouth, praying to God that it filtered the air he was breathing in. Scenes began to flash through his mind from long ago. He saw faces, faces of people, dead people, grotesquely smiling, eyes blank. He heard the sound of innocent bystanders laughing themselves to death… literally. A horrible, painful death. He recalled the times he had peered into psychiatric rooms, seeing men and women in straight jackets, lost smiles spread across their faces, their minds gone with no hope of return… so many times had he witnessed it, seen it, been warned of it….

The Joker's laughing toxin.

The room was growing humid with the gas. Robin coughed and wheezed, sliding himself into the back corner. He pressed the cape tighter against his face, but his eyes began to water as the horrible stench seeped through. He was breathing it in… he took a harsh, deep breath and held it, his face burning red. But he couldn't hold his breath forever….

His lungs spasmed, and he heaved a dry cough as the air was forced out. He fought to breathe, but the air was so thick with the poisonous gas, all he could do was cough. The Joker's laugh still echoed around him.

_What do you hope to accomplish with this, Joker??_ he thought to himself, hacking and gagging as the gas choked him. _You can't get anything out of me if I'm insane or dead!_

His coughing continued, until Robin realized he was no longer coughing… he was laughing… harsh, gasping laughter. His damaged muscles screamed with pain as his chest and lungs shuddered uncontrollably, forcing laughs out of his throat. He fought to keep his cape firmly held to his mouth, but his arms were losing touch with his brain. His connection with his whole body was going, and he teetered over and hit the floor, the intensity of his cackling growing.

"N-no…" he managed between the spewing laughs. His eyes were watering, his stomach churning and cramping. His smiling cheeks felt like they would split open, from the corners of his mouth to his ears. His head was pounding, all thoughts hard to grasp.

"There now, Robbie! Doesn't that feel better?" the Joker chirruped, followed by his own maniacal laughter. His laugh mingled with Robin's, causing the room to ring and echo horribly.

Robin rolled over, the laughter growing more intense. Tears were running freely now, his stomach and throat ripping apart from the exertion. Suddenly he began to taste something acidic and sour in his mouth, and he knew he was about to lose whatever was in his stomach. He really couldn't move, and his mind and body were both slipping completely away from him. He fought to hold on, but the pull was too strong.

He was paralyzed. He was going brain dead.

He was dying of laughter…

* * *

**Another Author Note**

DUN DUN DUN!

That is all :P


	9. Stripped Identity

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 9: Stripped Identity**

**Disclaimer: **Hey, don't look at me. DC, Warner Bros and Cartoon Network own Robin and the others. I just exploit them for my own laughs, not for anything else… well, for my own laughs AND for compliments. What can I say, I iz a compliment whore.

**Rating: M!**

**Author's Usual Yakkity-Yak**

This is a chapter whose content caused me to lean a little more towards the M rating than the T. Tell me if you think that's true or not. Enjoy the fun! :D

* * *

Robin awoke to the horrible smell of vomit. He jerked away from it, hitting the wall hard. He choked on the acidic, putrid taste in his mouth, his stomach heaving but producing nothing. A cold sweat covered his skin, and his clothes were soaked in more ways than one. A red flush burned in his cheeks as he came to the stark realization of it - he had laughed so hard and so much that he lost all control of his body functions. _And yet, _he told himself, _I'm not dead… or insane…_

He struggled to pick himself up, but his muscles weren't functioning right. He was weak, injured, dehydrated, exhausted. His stomach felt as though a car had slammed into it at seventy miles per hour. He groaned in pain as his gut threatened to lurch up emptiness again.

There was the loud scraping of metal upon metal, and the room suddenly became illuminated with intense light. Robin cried out and rolled over away from its source, covering his face with one sweat-soaked arm.

"Did you have a nice nap, bird boy?" rang out a female voice. Robin gritted his teeth. Harley was back. The Joker's laugh followed.

"Oh dear, Harley, just look at our little Robin. He had a bit of an accident."

"Ugh! Sick! It smells like a sewer in here!"

Robin struggled to push himself onto his hands and knees. This was his chance… they were both there, in person, and he wasn't bound and trapped. His sore throat rattled in a growl as he pushed harder against the floor, his arms shaking under the effort. He wanted nothing more than to attack them, to make them pay for this.

A hand grabbed him by the arm and snapped him down to the floor again, then yanked forward, dragging him across the floor, through his own piss, shit and vomit. He cried out as he was flung into opposite wall, his back connecting with it in a blast of pain. He collapsed in a heap beside the wall, shaking and tasting blood. But he couldn't give up. He strained to push himself up as the Joker walked towards him

"What a mess you've made," the Joker said in a soft, yet cold voice. He bowed into a squat before Robin's struggling form, leaning in with his white, manic face. "Good little boys don't make messes, Robin."

Robin suddenly swung his arm around, slamming into the clown's shoes and causing him to fall right into the disgusting puddle behind him. Robin grinned in weak satisfaction. He got a blow in, even in his state.

The Joker recovered quickly and dove forward, clapping his hand around Robin's outstretched wrist. Before Robin could react, searing energy raced up his arm and through his body, causing the young teen to yelp and lash out in pain. It ended quickly enough, but Robin found himself barely able to breathe, let alone move.

"You little brat," the Joker said in a dark, deep voice, getting up and throwing his joy buzzer to the side. He made a gesture to Harley, who stepped forward, holding a length of rope. She knelt beside Robin and grabbed his limp, singed arm and began to painfully bind it to the other. Meanwhile, her clown boyfriend began stripping off his soiled purple jacket.

"You will learn respect," the Joker added as Harely finished and stood back. He tossed his jacket aside and reached around to his back pocket, pulling something out. Robin watched the villain warily, heart pounding in his ears. The Joker's gloved wrist gave a twist, and with a sharp twanging sound, a switchblade opened in his hand.

"Here you go dear. The boy needs to be changed. He's a little smelly." With a quick peck on his cheek, Harley took the blade from the Joker. Robin scooted back as far as he could against the wall, watching the blade with wide, vigilant eyes as Harley bent over him again. She gripped his cape in her hand, and tugged hard. The material tightened around his neck, causing him to gag and sputter in attempt to breathe. Pressing a foot against his stomach, she managed to rip the fabric free. She quickly tossed it aside.

Robin fell to the ground, gasping for air as she knelt beside him. She grabbed a bit of unsoiled fabric on the front of his shirt and pulled on it, bringing the knife close and slicing right through the letter R of his uniform. There was so little clearance between the knife and his chest that he had to shut his eyes. Grunting and straining, Harley began tearing and slicing through the rest of Robin's shirt, casting it aside in pieces of red and green. Robin clenched his teeth in anger. He hated the feeling of her fingers on his bare skin.

Her hands were then on his belt. Robin's eyes grew wide, tingling horror washing over him as she began to undo it. With all the strength he could muster, he swung his knee around, slamming into her and bowling her over.

"Hey!" she squealed. As if in reflex, she swung the blade. It connected with Robin's bare stomach, and the young Titan cried out as the knife cut a clean, stinging gash across his ribs. "Don't interrupt Mommy while she's working!"

Robin bit his lip so hard he drew blood, trying to fight the tears which were running down his cheeks; he felt warmth trickling down his skin from his stinging wound. After hesitating a moment to make sure the boy did not lash out again, the female jester began tugging at his belt again, prying it free and yanking it off. Robin felt her tug on the waistband of his leggings, and then felt the cold surface of the knife dangerously close to important pieces. He jerked away instinctively, and felt the knife follow.

"Don't make me do anything drastic," she warned with a high, upbeat tune. Robin scrunched up his face, trying to block everything out as she began slicing down the leg of his pants, yanking hard and ripping, kicking him to turn him over. It took forever, but finally Robin found himself laying there in simply his soiled underwear, and with a couple quick slices, those were off too, Harley squealing "Ew, ew, ew!" the whole time.

And then, there he was, completely naked on the cold floor. He felt himself quivering ever so slightly from the cool draft coming through the door, and a burning feeling rushed to his face as Harley stepped back, giggling at his fully exposed body. "Rather small, isn't he?" she whispered loudly to the Joker. The Joker merely grinned and stepped forward.

"He's not entirely naked yet…" the Joker murmured. He knelt right before Robin, leaning in until their noses were mere inches from one another. Robin felt the fingers of the villain's gloved hands on his temples, and understood.

His mask…

Robin tried to pull away, but it was no use. The Joker seized his mask and yanked it off. He handed it to Harley, who laughed as she pressed it up to her face. "Look at me, I'm the Boy Wonder!" She giggled and stepped out the door with it, humming all the while. Robin looked away, trying to hide his eyes from the Joker's, feeling fully and completely exposed than he had ever felt before.

"No mask, no cape, no costume… you don't look like Robin anymore… you're just an ordinary little naked boy…" The Joker grabbed the young teen by the chin and forced him to look into those piercing red eyes. The Joker smiled dangerously. "If you are not Robin… who are you?"

Robin didn't answer. He kept staring into those evil red eyes, still shaking a little. A long, agonizing silence passed. Finally, the Joker clicked his tongue, and then stood up. He gave the teen a hard kick, right in the ribcage, right in his knife wound, causing a yelp of anguish to escape from the boy's throat.

"Harley!! He's still a bit messy, sweetie! Perhaps a good shower will get him all washed up."

Robin wheezed and coughed, trying to catch his breath. He squinted through tear-filled eyes. He really didn't want to know what would happen next.

At the door stood Harley, an enormous fire hose in her hands. The young Titan gulped hard, his mouth dry.

"Hold your breath…" she giggled. Robin braced himself for what he knew was really going to hurt, as the harsh, stinging spray of highly pressurized water crashed into him. It was much worse than he could have imagined, like tiny whips against his skin. He sputtered and cried out as water sprayed in his face threatened to drown him, and every inch of his skin screamed in agony. An eternity passed before it was over. He hacked and spat out water, shaking against the soaked floor, a trail of blood from his injury creating red swirls in the pool of water he lay in. A dry sob welled up inside him, but he forced it back. He wasn't going to cry… he wouldn't…

"Don't worry, boy," came Joker's voice over the intercom as Harley shut the door on him, enclosing him in pitch darkness once more. "The games have only begun."


	10. Trouble in Jump City

**Chapter 10: Trouble in Jump City**

**Disclaimer:** Stop making me admit that I don't own Robin's soul! Stoppit stoppit stoppit! …but I don't… it's so sad…. I don't own any of the other characters, either…

**Rating:** M for "My God That's Sick!" You probably already have begun to realize this...

**Author's Note:**

First, about that last chapter. xrockinrobin totally pointed out to me that the whole "losing bodily functions" thing was very "brave" of me. It was actually the one thing I was worried about at this point, but did decide to go through with it. I'm all about that whole realism thing, and so many times I watch a movie or something and I'm like "Okay, so, how the hell did those guys use the bathroom?!" So yeah. Realism. It makes it so much more... real... and it hits a little closer to home for us, doesn't it? I mean, look at that. Robin's only human. He poops!

Anyways... Time for a little **English lesson!**

I want to talk to you students today about the idea of **dramatic irony**. Dramatic irony is a literary device that authors like to use for suspense. It's where the audience or reader is aware of something important that the characters in the story are not aware. It happens to be my faaaavorite literary device. That, and cliffhangers. I know you've noticed the cliffhangers

As usual, Read, Review, and Rapture!

* * *

It was day three and still no sign of Robin. The Teen Titans had searched every lead, run down every underworld connection, but they were no closer to finding their lost friend than they had been the first night.

The growing anxiety was beginning to take its toll on the Titans with every hour that passed. Starfire paced around the command center, playing absentmindedly with her hair and murmuring to herself in her native language. Cyborg spent much of his time at the computer doing research, contacting other Titan members that were scattered across the globe, reexamining the evidence they had, checking in with people to see if anyone had any updates. Raven remained in her room, looking through spell books, trying to figure out how to better establish a connection with their lost friend, but so far having little luck.

And Beast Boy sat at the couch in the main room, watching Starfire pacing, feeling completely useless. He had spent the past few days trying to help out anyway he knew how. He tried to aid Cyborg in his research, but the older boy ended up just snapping at him for breaking Robin's communicator even more. He tried to keep Starfire's mind off of things by making her laugh, but he ended up doing just the opposite the day before and made her shove him away in tearful anger. And Raven, of course, didn't want to have anything to do with him. He knew the best way to help her was to leave her be, although sometimes he felt that his mere presence in the tower was enough to tick her off.

The clock on the wall struck 9PM with nine gentle dings. He flopped backwards on the soft cushions, a foot slung over the back of the couch, and he stared at the dark metal ceiling. This was just too much, the waiting, the uncertainty, the worry. They needed to find Robin. His disappearance was going to rip the team apart, or at least, that's how it felt to Beast Boy. He wished he could be the one to make the big breakthrough and find Robin. Then, he would be the big hero. Then, he wouldn't feel so completely useless.

A blaring siren startled him from his thoughts. He cried out and tumbled backwards off the couch, landing on his neck painfully as red flashed around them.

"Trouble!" Cyborg announced needlessly.

"Perhaps it's Robin!" Starfire gasped, her voice threaded with hope.

Beast Boy somersaulted upright as the others ran by him, not even telling him to hurry up as they headed for the door.

"Wait for me!" he gasped, turning into a cheetah and scampering off after them.

Three days with no sign of Robin…

Would they finally find him?

* * *

"Looks like a robbery is in progress at the Wayne Enterprises building downtown," Cyborg said into the commlink on the dashboard of his T-Car as he swerved through the dark, deserted streets of late night Jump City. Starfire and Raven followed him from overhead.

"What's up with that company always getting robbed?" groaned Beast Boy from the passenger seat.

"Can it, Beast Boy," Cyborg snapped. His patience had long run thin. He turned back to the communicator. "You two girls go in from the top, we'll go in around back and catch whoever this robber is."

"Right," came in Raven's voice. Beast Boy crossed his arms and leaned against the car door, staring out the window glumly, watching the two female Titans fly on. Ahead of them, he could see a tall office building, bright white neon letters spelling out "Wayne" on the side.

"This was the same place Robin robbed when he was Slade's apprentice," he muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, it is," said Cyborg.

"Think it's him again?"

Cyborg kept his eyes ahead of him, watching the road. He was actually driving better than usual. "I don't know," he admitted. "I sure hope so, but I doubt it."

Beast Boy sighed. He rarely ever heard Cyborg sound so pessimistic. He looked back out at the looming building, just a block from where they were. He hoped there were some answers to be found…

And then suddenly, the building was gone. With a sonic boom, a gigantic fireball engulfed the entire building, causing the earth to tremble beneath the car.

"What the hell?!" Cyborg gasped. He slammed on the brakes as debris began to fall, a huge boulder of concrete and twisted steel landing just short of the hood of the T-car as it screeched to a halt.

"Abandon ship!" the green changeling shouted as he saw another hunk of steel above them, falling straight down. Beast Boy transformed into a crow and shot out through the window while his mechanical friend kicked out the door and bolted for it. No sooner had they cleared the car then it was crushed beneath iron and rubble.

"It blew up!" Starfire's voice crackled on the transmitter at Beast Boy's belt as he touched the ground and changed back.

"I know I saw!" Cyborg screamed, diving into an alleyway away from the fire and flame. Beast Boy dodged falling, flaming bits of debris, searching for safety. He dove behind a huge dumpster and kept his head covered.

"What the hell was that?!" he yelled.

"I'll tell you what that was – the sweet, burning aroma of destruction," answered a voice above him, cool, dark and stern. Beast Boy looked up and gasped.

"Slade!!"

The masked villain stood peering over a fire escape above him. He leapt off of it, falling right toward Beast Boy, who ducked out of the way as Slade landed on the dumpster, crushing its metal cover in.

"I knew it was you!" Beast Boy snarled. "What did you do with Robin?"

"Robin?" Slade asked, his one eye widening a little. "You mean he's missing?"

"Don't act so surprised! I know you have him!" Beast Boy shouted before changing into a huge mammoth and charging at the criminal, who easily dodged him.

"I don't have him, actually," Slade said coolly as he ducked away from a charging green lion. "I'm actually rather disappointed that he's not here. I had a whole monologue prepared for him… This is unexpected."

"Cut the crap, Slade, and tell us where he is!" screamed Cyborg, shooting a laser blast at the masked villain. Slade leapt up back onto the fire escape, narrowly missing getting grabbed by Beast Boy's giant octopus tentacle. He jumped again before the fire escape exploded in a bright blue blast, but was suddenly grounded by a bolt of black energy.

"Now, you're down. Start talking!" Raven called out as she swept in from above, eyes blazing with energy and her arms outstretched, her powers keeping Slade pinned to the ground.

"I really, honestly, do not have him," Slade said coldly. "Why would I take him and not show off my prize? You all should know me better than that…"

"…You know, he kinda has a point," Beast Boy said, bewildered.

"You must have some information about our missing friend!" Starfire growled, eyes charged with green light. "If you do not begin with the talking…"

"Sorry, but I have nothing of the sort," Slade murmured with a shrug. "Tough luck, kids."

"I know you know something, Slade! I know it! TALK!" Cyborg shouted. Beast Boy looked over at him, eyebrows high. The robotic Titan was shaking with intense rage and seemed ready to lose it.

"Don't worry," Slade told them all, voice deep and careful. "He _certainly_ wasn't in that building that just exploded."

Cold fear doused them all. It was the hint of sarcasm in his voice that told them all the same thing. Starfire gasped in horror. Beast Boy looked over at the burning remains of the building. It couldn't be… Slade wouldn't….

Cyborg snapped. He reared back with a yell and whipped out his laser cannon, pointing it straight at Slade's head. Before anyone could stop him, he fired, blinding them all momentarily with a brilliant light. Beast Boy threw an arm over his eyes to shield them, and when the light vanished, and the dust settled, he peeked a look.

Gears and wires stuck out from what remained of the one-eyed mask. Just another Sladebot. Beast Boy's shoulders slumped. They hadn't gotten any information out of the wretched villain, and in all honesty, he felt that Slade really didn't have anything to tell. Once again, they were without any leads.

"NO!" Cyborg screamed in fury, pointing his gun at the shattered robot. With cries of crazed rage, he fired at it, again and again, reducing it to parts.

"Cyborg!" Starfire cried out, grabbing the large teen around the shoulders from behind, pulling him back. "Please, enough with the firing! It's not doing anything!!"

But Cyborg was gone, lost in anguish. Starfire continued to struggle with him, causing wayward laser fire to hit nearby buildings. Raven ran forward and grabbed his arm, and both the girl's efforts forced him down to the ground. He was crying out Robin's name, weakly struggling to pull free from the two girls. The tears on Starfire's cheeks glimmered from the flickering inferno as she held Cyborg to her, muttering in strained words that Robin was okay, trying to calm him down. Beast Boy stared at them helplessly, not sure what to do, what he could do. He felt numb, broken. He looked over at the fiery ruins of the tall office building, the sound of firetruck sirens whining far away.

"Robin…" he breathed sadly. Could Robin really have been caught in that explosion…? Was he… was he dead…?

He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears as he dropped feebly to his knees, his body filling with icy dread. This wasn't happening… it just wasn't happening… was it?

"He's not dead…"

Beast Boy looked up. Raven was standing there, her eyes closed, the orange from the inferno dancing across her pale skin. The other two Titans looked at her as well.

"What?" Cyborg whispered, his voice full of emotion.

"He's not dead… he wasn't in that building…" she opened her brilliant purple eyes and looked around at them, her eyes falling on Cyborg last. "I would know it if he was. But I can feel him. He wasn't in the building…there's still hope."

Beast Boy heaved a sigh and fell back on his heels, his heart still drumming in his ears. He looked back at Slade's destroyed robot, a new fire in his heart.

"We will find him," he said sharply. "We're the Teen Titans. Nothing has ever stopped us before." He glanced up at Raven. "Not even the end of the world. We'll find him."

Starfire smiled weakly and nodded. Cyborg stared into space ahead of himself, still shaken. Raven looked up towards the sky, seeing stars twinkling through the billowing smoke.

"Yes, we will," she hummed, closing her eyes.


	11. Adventures in Wonderland

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 11: Adventures in Wonderland**

**Disclaimer: **1, 2, 3 Not Mine!

**Rating: **M

**Author's Note: **Just read for now.

* * *

Stars twinkled above him. He stared up at them, the cool feeling of grass beneath his feet. He breathed the late night air, smelling a hint of delicious burning wood, a campfire. There was giggling. Turning his head, he saw his friends, sitting in a wide circle around a roaring campfire. Starfire laughed and waved at him, Beast Boy and Cyborg fought loudly over a bag of marshmallows, and Raven sat away from the fire a little bit, a book open in her hands, but abandoned as she muttered something to Starfire, causing the other girl to giggle some more, most likely at Beast Boy's expense. Beast Boy tore the bag of sweets from the robot, who at first looked miffed, but decided to forget about it and turned to the Boy Wonder.

"Sit down," he said with a smile, patting the ground beside him.

"Don't mind if I do," Robin replied, grinning as relief and happiness washed over him. It was all over. He was back with them. The world around him was at peace again.

But something was wrong. Robin couldn't move. He glanced down at his feet. Why wouldn't they move? He looked up at his friends for help, but they were gone, and the campfire was growing, quickly becoming a raging inferno. The flames surrounded him, pressed in on him, the smoke and haze obscuring the stars from view… he was falling. He reached out for something, anything… his hand caught hold of the bar of a trapeze swing, halting his fall. He tightened his grip on it, dangling one-handed hundreds of feet above the ground. He struggled, grunting with the effort of swinging his other hand up. He pulled his entire weight up, throwing his elbow over the bar and looking above him, wondering if he could see those stars again. Instead, it was the dark underside of a circus tent.

High above him he saw a tightwire, two beautifully clad circus performers balancing along it. The band below began a suspensful drumroll as one of the performers prepared to do some amazing acrobatic feat. The wire beneath her wavered oddly... He felt his heart leap through his throat… he was suddenly eight years old again as he screamed, screamed a warning to them, screamed for someone to save them, but they couldn't hear… nobody could hear… and it was too late. The wire snapped… they were falling… he was falling... through the floor, away from the circus, away from the ambulance sirens that led them away...

"All you care about…" hissed a deep, dark voice, "…you destroy…"

The masked owner of the voice swam into view, his one single eye glaring.

"Slade…" Robin growled under his breath. He wanted to strike out at him, to kick him right in that one lone eye socket, but his body had stopped working again… he was still falling…

"We really are so much alike…"

"No, we aren't," Robin spat. Slade faded into the darkness, but his laughter rumbled around him, throughout him, thunder rolling across all time and space.

"But we are, Bird Boy…" Slade's voice reverberated deeply through the emptiness surrounding him. Robin raised an eyebrow. It was beginning not to sound like Slade anymore… the laughter was raising in pitch. Robin's heart pounded faster in his chest as he began spinning, growing dizzy, the laughing becoming high and maniacal.

"Oh yes, Robin," said a new voice, cold with malice that filled him with more dread than even Slade's. Robin's own face suddenly swam into view in the darkness before him, lips cracked in a wide, devilish sneer. He watched, mouth agape, as the mask on his reflection's face fall, revealing twinkling blue eyes. He stared into them, feeling like he hadn't seen them in a long time. But then, the twinkling dwindled, color turning cold and gray. Robin watched in horror as the face of his double slowly turned a horrible, sickeningly chalk white, mouth spreading wider in a yellow, malicious smile. His hair became slick and green, and before Robin knew it, the face of the Joker stared madly back at him.

"We are more alike than you know…" his voice finished, and faded off into a sea of cackling. Robin was falling again.

And this time, he slammed hard to the Earth.

Robin screamed out, his whole body jumping as pain jolted through it from the landing. He coughed as the pain just as suddenly vanished, a lingering ache and slight twitching in his arms and legs remaining. His head drooped down to his chest, straps holding his body upright against that hard metal platform. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't. It felt like his eyelids, and his entire body, was encased in some super-heavy membrane. His head lolled to one side as he fought harder to open them.

"Come on, child. Wakey, wakey, time for school."

Another hoarse cry left him as the surge of pain leapt through him again, slamming into his chest, making his heart skip and threaten to stop. The pain stopped, the buzzing that accompanied it stopping to, leaving the young boy panting and shaking horribly. He blinked through blurriness and saw the same face from his dream wavering before him, face split into a crazed smile.

"Well, welcome back. Ready for the quiz?"

"Quiz…?" Robin groaned. He felt so dull, his mind a complete haze. His head flopped a little, and his blurry, unfocused eyes swept over the naked body stretched below him. How did that happen, he thought stupidly. His vision went in and out of focus as his foggy memory tried to function. That's right… a knife… his clothes in pieces… blade slicing into his ribs… firehose... laughing gas….

"Yes, my dear boy, a quiz!" the Joker said playfully, plopping a graduates cap on top of his slimy green head and beaming. "A pop quiz! We have some questions for you to answer."

"Please don't let it be geography," the raven-haired boy mumbled dumbly, only mildly aware that he was even talking. "I hate geography."

The Joker's smile could not be happier as he continued.

"No, not geography, English! I'm sure you got around to doing your reading," the Joker went on in a teacherly voice. He raised a book and Robin's tired brain only managed to make out a clothed rabbit holding a pocketwatch before the Joker swept it around to open it. "Yes, that's right, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. A brilliant book, as I'm sure you know, those few of you who bothered to spend the extra time reading it instead of watching the movie."

"Actually, never did read it…" Robin muttered again. Why did he keep talking like this? "Owned it... never read it... Saw the movie… scared the crap out of me at first... damn Cheshire…"

The Joker stared at him for a long moment, his wide grin unwavering. He finally turned from the boy and back to the book, dropping a pair of spectacles on his nose and flipping through the pages.

"Alright, and for full credit on this exam, you must answer the big question, stated clearly by the minor but memorable hookah-smoking character" The villain peered over his reading glasses over at the boy stretched out before him.

"'Who… are you?'"

Robin blinked sluggishly at his clown professor. His head dropped again – why couldn't he keep it up? The Titan lifted his chin with all his strength and looked straight at the Joker.

"Alice?" he asked with a small smile.

Wrong answer. Robin knew it from the look that fell on the villain's face. Robin took a moment to relish that look, though. Even in his stupor, he was able to make a witty comeback.

His victory was short-lived as the electricity slammed back to life, drowning him in a sea of agony as volts zapped through his being. His cracked lips split open as he yelled out.

When it stopped, the Joker gave a small, cold chuckle.

"Well, I guess I sort of set myself up for that one," he admitted darkly. Robin pried his eyes open again, smacking his mouth as blood began to drip from his newly bleeding chapped lips. He wished it were water, or even spit. He hadn't had anything to drink since the night Harley gave him that nice concussion.

"It's true though…" Robin muttered stupidly. "The caterpillar asked Alice that question… therefore…"

A smack across his face shut the boy's rambling up. Robin groaned dimly as the Joker grabbed his chin and forced it directly at him, staring the Boy Wonder straight in the eye. "No…" he said softly, dangerously. "You know what I mean… who are _you_?"

"Robin," he answered plainly, immediately. The Joker stood up straight again, releasing the teen and backing away, and another blinding flash of energy seared through Robin again.

"Nope," the Joker said as he shut off the current, his voice clearly revealing his dwindling patience. "Robin is the one with the mask."

He gestured behind him. There Harley stood with Robin's mask pressed against her face, the R from his uniform safety-pinned to her jester's outfit. His tattered black and yellow cape was draped behind her and his utility belt rested on her hips.

"Look at me!" she crooned in a mocking tone. "I'm Robin, the Boy Wonder! I have angst! I wear tights! I'm obviously gay!" She kicked up one of her heels, causing the cape tied around her neck to whip up in a girlish manner and the yellow belt around her thin frame to flop around loosely. Robin stared at her for a long moment, a mild blush coming to his face as she danced around stupidly. Even in his slow state, he felt his bruised ego. The Joker placed himself between Robin's gaze and her, staring deep into the boy's sparkling blue eyes.

"What I want you to tell me is who this boy is here before me..." the clown said slowly, darkly, "The one with the blue eyes... Robin doesn't have blue eyes…."

Robin flicked his tongue against the back of his teeth, mind dully understanding what was happening, why this heaviness felt so familiar.

"You want me to talk..." he grumbled his thoughts aloud. "You gave me some kind of drug to make me tell the truth..."

The Joker raised an eyebrow. "What gives you that idea?" he said calmly.

"You want to know... my name perhaps?" he muttered, his words slurring from his drug-induced state. "But I'm not supposed to tell you my name..."

"You could go ahead and tell me if you wanted to," the Joker replied, a small smile playing his lips. "I wont tell anyone..."

"Well…" the boy went on, head rolling a little. "I suppose, I could tell you… if you're not gonna tell anyone..."

The Joker's eyes betrayed a glimmer of hope as the boy opened his mouth again.

"My name is Richard…."

The Joker's eyes danced in their sockets. "Richard? Richard what?" he asked, captivated.

"Richard…" Robin took a deep breath, the edge of his lip twitching. "Richard... M. Nixon… thirty-seventh president of the United States-"

Robin's words were cut short by yet another wave of energy bolting through him. It felt even more intense than the previous times, and lasted much longer. By the time it was finished, he hung quite limp against his restraints, the scent of burning filling his nostrils.

"You're lying to me, you little twit! Lying!!"

"Yes, I am..." the teen panted, sweat dripping past his ear.

The Joker growled angrily. "Harley! Why isn't the damn stuff working?!"

"I-I don't understand. This is the most potent stuff there is. The U.S. Government has made bulky mafia hitmen admit their biggest childhood fears with this!"

"It's because all truth serums do is make someone talk."

The two white faces turned to look at Robin, even though the boy was speaking more to himself than to them. His head dropped to one shoulder, a small, reminiscing little grin playing his lips as the tough but kind face of Batman swam into his head. He could see the old man's lips moving in his mind's eye, mouthing the words Robin continued to repeat: "Truth drugs are highly unreliable... Subjects can easily mix fact with fantasy. Much of the claimed effect of the drug relies on the _belief_ of the subject that they cannot tell a lie while under the influence of the drug." His gaze met that of the Joker's, who now looked positively seething. "But in all actuality, truth serums do not increase truth-telling, but merely increase talking; so, truth is more likely to be revealed, but so are lies." Robin smiled dreamily, his head still resting on his shoulder as he watched the Joker. "Of course, you already knew this... you just didn't think a little brat like me did..."

The Joker was shaking noticeably now in anger. He slammed the Alice in Wonderland book down on a nearby table with a resounding thud and stomped over to the teenaged hero. He brought his fists down hard on the surface at either side of Robin's head, missing him by mere centimeters. He leaned in, noses almost touching.

"You'd better talk!" The Joker's spit rained on Robin's face. The young Titan was still smiling weakly.

"Fine, I'll talk..." he said wearily.

"Then talk!"

Robin smiled even wider, his heart pounding in his ears. For a moment he was going to try stopping himself, then decided no, it was better this way. After all, the Joker wanted him to talk.

"Twas brillig and the slithy toves..." he began, glancing over at the book lying on the table. He'd never read Lewis Carroll, but he still knew the Jabberwocky by heart.

The Joker snapped. He charged back to the table, grabbed the fantasy book up and heaved it at the boy with all his might, hitting him square in the forehead. Robin cried out, eyes tearing up as the book clamored to the floor, falling open to the maniacally sinful face of the Cheshire Cat. The Joker stepped forward, sweeping up a baseball bat that had been resting just outside of Robin's field of vision. There was nothing the young hero could do but jerk around and cry out as the blows fell. The wooden club crashed down on his chest, across his cheek, knocking out a tooth. It bashed up his leg, his arm. It slammed down on the teen's shoulder, and he screamed at the top of his lungs at the loud, snapping sound and excruciating pain that accompanied it as it dislocated. Back to his other arm, his chest, his side, reopening the gash in his upper stomach. The Joker beat him senselessly, hitting injured areas three times over, sending supernovas of bright light flashing behind the Titan's eyes. With one final, growling laugh, the Joker slammed his bat down on Robin's head, sending him crashing into complete darkness.

* * *

**The Author's Note:  
**

I didn't want to lose the connection between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this one by doing an author's note up there, so here it is down here.

This was one of those incredibly strange late night chapters that just spewed out from nowhere…. Those end up being the best chapters, agreed? I giggled and danced around when I finished this, clapping my hands together and cackling maniacally to myself.

Just a note, in case you don't know - Dick is a nickname for Richard. Mixing fact and fantasy. :P (Also, his whole little speech is mostly taken from wikipedia. I had worded it myself initially, but it didn't sound as good.)

Updates from now on will probably not be as often as they have been... I mean, two or three chapters in a single day? It's not like me, sad to say. I just had alot of stuff already written out. From now on, it'll probably be a little more sparse as I head into things, especially because I need to plan things out just right. I'm trying to stay true to the movie, and according to the movie, Robin is held captive for 3 weeks, and so far, I'm only four days in. How can it get any worse for Robin, you might ask? Oh, trust me... it's gonna get worse... :) For the Titans as well. ...They're the big problem. I need to keep them off his trail...


	12. Hunting Slade

**Teen Titans: Return of the Joker**

**Ch 12 – Hunting Slade**

**Disclaimer: **Disclaiming rights.

**Rating: **Rated M

**Author's Note:**

I've turned off anonymous reviews because of someone who called themselves "Daxo." While this particular review wasn't rude or trolling or anything like that, I was SO CHEESED that I couldn't private message back.

He claimed I had the wrong Robin. Let's clear it all up right now - Yes, in the Batman Beyond movie Return of the Joker, the Robin that got kidnapped was Tim Drake, the third Robin. The Robin in Teen Titans, however, is NOT Tim Drake. Though the makers of TT intended to have Robin to simply be Robin – no secret identity – it's heavily implied in the show, and confirmed in Teen Titans Go! Comic #47 (which I'm totally going to buy off the internet) that he is, in fact, Dick Grayson. No more confusion now! Read and Review! See you in my end notes. (Sorry if all these notes annoy you – I just like commenting on my own work. If I were a director, I would totally do audio commentaries.)

* * *

"What happened back there?"

Cyborg didn't respond right away, his face flickering in the light of the raging inferno that had once been a Wayne company research building. His gaze was focused intently on all the activity taking place: the fire department and an elephantine Beast Boy trying desperately to water down the flames, Starfire emerging from the smoke and landing beside the fire chief, relaying information to him; their mouths moved wordlessly, voices drowned out by the roar of the flames. Next to Cyborg, Raven lifted her arms and created a massive orb of dark energy, cutting off the oxygen to a large portion of the inferno, putting it out. The two of them stood out of the way of the firefighters and other emergency teams arriving on the scene, and Cyborg couldn't help feeling restless. It was one of the few times he had ever found himself unable to do much to help out.

He took a deep breath that was laced with the taste of smoke. His heart still hadn't slowed down after what had happened earlier, when Slade had made them think Robin had perished in the explosion. Deep down, he didn't fully believe the others' reassurances that Robin was still alive, and still felt terrified that one of the firefighters would approach him with the charred dead body of his friend…

"Cyborg?" Raven's dry, croaky voice brought him out of his thoughts. He still hadn't answered her. He glanced over at her, and then away, down at the ground where the wrecked Sladebot rested.

"I don't want to talk about it," he finally told her.

"Are you sure?" the dark-haired girl asked.

"Yes," Cyborg replied grimly. "It was nothing."

"Really." It wasn't a question, but an unbelieving statement. Her violet eyes glanced over at him. Cyborg turned his head away, avoiding that look of hers. He really hated those mental powers sometimes. He never knew if she was looking inside him or not.

"Look, all I care about is finding Robin," Cyborg said, looking up at the fiery wreckage. "And I think I know where to start."

"Where?"

"Slade," he said darkly, looking at her. "I know he has something to do with Robin's disappearance."

"I'm not so sure," Raven replied, waving her hands, using her magic to extinguish some flames threatening to jump a neighboring building. "Besides, we already searched for Slade and came up empty. We don't know where he's hiding."

"No, we don't," said Cyborg, staring down at the Sladebot. His eyes narrowed, and he stepped over to it. "But I am going to find out."

"What are you…" began Raven as Cyborg snatched up the wrecked Sladebot, trying desperately to hold it all together, an arm falling off the main body to dangle inches off the ground by a few wires. Cyborg glanced around at the ground, making sure he wasn't missing anything important.

"I'm going to tear apart this robot and see if I can't find the transmitter that connected it to Slade. Slade had to be controlling it, and it had to have someway of sending information back to him. If I can crack into its system, I can figure out where Slade is."

"Its basically already torn apart…" muttered Raven darkly. "The parts you need are probably ruined."

"Look, I have to do something!" Cyborg spat at her, growing irritated. Did she not even care that he actually had some sort of plan, that he was perhaps one step closer to Robin than ever before? "I'm going to do everything I can to get Robin back! And you guys can either be with me, or against me, but that's what I'm doing, so don't get in my way."

He stomped off, Raven calling after him, but he wasn't going to stop and listen to her crap. He shifted the destroyed remains of the robot in his arms, making the long, car-less trek back to Titan's Tower with his mind fully focused on the task at hand, ignoring the other feelings that tugged at the back of his mind.

Beast Boy landed beside Raven as a crow, shifting back to normal and staring after Cyborg, having heard the majority of the conversation.

"Dude…" he said softly. "The guy is sounding like Robin when it comes to Slade…"

"Yeah," replied Raven, turning her attention back to the fire. "That's what worries me."

High above on the rooftops, hiding in the shadow of the smoke, the single eye of Slade gleamed maliciously at the scene laid out before him. The villain chuckled softly to himself before stepping away, vanishing into the smoky darkness.

* * *

It was long after midnight when Cyborg made the connection. He jumped from his seat at the command center, shouting a "Boo-yah!" at his accomplishment as he watched the blinking light from the center of town, almost three-quarters of a mile from the site of the now-destroyed Wayne Enterprises building. His heart drummed fervently in his ears – he finally had a breakthrough. He was going to find Slade, find Robin.

…_What happened back there?_

Cyborg shook his head, forcing his memories to fall silent. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think of how badly he lost control. He just wanted to move forward and find their lost teammate. He made a note in his system about the transmitter's location and began to run from the room. He needed to get wheels and get out there as soon as possible.

His footsteps faltered to halt, and he wavered a moment before the hallway door, chewing on his lip. The others had approached him when they came home a couple hours before, asking him to get them if he figured out where Slade was. He glanced up at the clock. It was a quarter past 2am. He decided he'd rather not wake them. He could handle Slade himself, and after all the work they had used up while taming that fire, he knew they needed their rest. He had enough juice to go another day, if he needed to. At times, it was convenient to be part machine.

Fifteen minutes later, his motorcycle tires screeched to a halt before a large, condemned hotel building on the outer ring of downtown Jump City, in the area considered to be on the "other side of the tracks." It looked to have been abandoned years ago, and there was an old faded out "For Sale" sign nailed on one of the boarded up windows. Cyborg stepped up to the chained doors, and with a quick thrust of his foot, broke them through.

Dust and paint chips immediately rained down from the ceiling overhead, disturbed by his violent entry. He coughed and batted the airborne junk away from him, stepping into the darkness. His flashlight leapt to attention as he took a quick look around the old, deserted lobby. Some broken down chairs and tables still sat there, a broken glass lamp on the ground. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust, and it appeared that not even a squatter had been there in a long time. He took a quick look at the computer imbedded in his arm. The signal he had detected originated somewhere above him, on the third floor, he estimated. Heavy metal footsteps kicked up clouds of dirt as he continued ahead, down a long narrow corridor, searching for a staircase, sensors keenly on alert for any unseen company.

_What happened back there?_

Not now, he told himself, a stinging feeling in his heart as he began to ascend a large, echoing staircase. He didn't want to think about any of it, but with the darkness and silence pressing in, he couldn't keep his mind away from it…

A large sigh escaped him as everything seemed to fall upon him at once. His chest felt heavy with guilt: guilt over how he basically tried to brutally, savagely murder Slade earlier that night, and moreover, guilt over his lost friend. The afternoon before Robin's disappearance, the two of them had had a huge argument. Cyborg didn't even fully remember exactly what it was all about – it started with something about a new training method Robin wanted to incorporate into their already full training regimen. It just seemed unnecessary to the bigger Titan, just some fad stupid way of doing what they were already doing so well. That disagreement developed into a full-fledged insult war, and at the end of it all, the two of them refused to even speak to one another. Cyborg winced as he remembered some of the insults he had thrown at Robin - worthless, bossy no-good know-it-all was one of them... The other Teen Titans didn't know much about the fight – they had all been off elsewhere during it, but Cyborg was sure they'd noticed the tension that evening during dinner.

And now Robin was gone, his condition unknown. Cyborg felt absolutely awful. Robin was his best friend. What if… what if he never even got to tell him that he hadn't meant any of it... that he was sorry...

_Don't think like that_, he told himself bitterly. _He's going to be fine._

He reached the landing on the third floor, pulling the broken fire door off its single rusted hinge and tossing it aside. He stepped onto the mangy, filthy carpet of a long hallway, hotel room doors spattering the walls as far down each side as he could see in the dim light of his flashlight. His heart pounded eagerly in his chest as he peeked at his arm. He was at the right level, getting warmer. Now he just needed to find his way to the dot on his map…

A couple of buildings away, a tv shone bright green in the darkness. Its emerald glow reflected brilliantly off the gold side of Slade's two-faced mask as the criminal switched camera views with a click of his remote. Stealthy night-vision cameras, cleverly hidden, revealed everything to him. Cyborg had taken the bait… He smiled to himself, leaning back in his hard armchair as he switched to another camera, following the Teen Titan down the hall of the rundown hotel. This would be amusing to watch…

Cyborg turned a corner and found himself facing one of the many doors that lined the hallway. He consulted the screen on his arm. According to it, he was way warm – no, burning hot. He reached out and tried the handle, but it was locked. With a quick inhale, he yanked on the door with all his strength, ripping it free from the wall and taking a bit of the door frame with it as he cast it aside.

The room was pretty much empty, save for a half-disintegrated spring mattress sitting on the floor. Cyborg held his breath as he looked around. There had to be something there. His light flashed across the ground. The dust in here had been disturbed noticeably, footsteps criss-crossing the floor. He glanced down at it all with vigor. The footsteps did not seem to ever have reached the doorway where he stood. They originated from and ended at the open window on the opposite side of the room. But they were definitely Slade's footsteps.

Cyborg cautiously stepped inward, his footsteps adding to Slade's, searching carefully for any clue at all.

And then, he found it.

On the ground on the other side of the old mattress lay a controller, abandoned. He walked warily over to it, bending down to take a better look. It looked like an R/C car remote, but much more sophisticated. Cyborg had no idea how on earth Slade could make a robot act convincingly the same as him with this thing…

He reached for it, hope dancing in his heart. Who knows what sort of information this could tell him, about Slade, about Robin. This was just bringing him closer, he could tell.

His fingertips grasped it gingerly, and then, suddenly, everything burst outward in a blinding flash of light. The teen hurtled backwards against the far wall, causing the entire building to shudder and ceiling paint to shower upon him from above. He lay on the floor a moment, coughing up dust and debris. He shook his head, shaking out any dizziness from the impact, and rolled over to his hands and knees. There didn't appear to be any damage from the explosion… on him anyway. The remote control device, however, was completely destroyed, and with it, any hope he had of continuing the search beyond the hotel itself.

Disappointment and anger exploded inside him more violently than what he just experienced. He slammed his hand angrily on the floor. No, just when he thought he was a step closer to Slade, he was now a step behind. He should have known this would happen.

He blinked. Something glinted on the floor, reflecting the glowing red of his robotic eye. He leaned in close.

His eyes met with Slade's through the tiny little camera that had jostled loose from the vent above him. One look at the camera, with its trademark S symbol, and understanding snapped into the Teen Titan's eyes.

"Slade!" he shouted at it, grabbing it and holding it up to his face with the palm of his hand "You bastard! You lousy little--!" Hatred coursed through him. It was all a trick. That vile man had lured him there.

Slade smiled from his surveillance room, pressing a button on his arm. He gave a small chuckle, and it filtered out to the Titan through speakers in the camera. Cyborg's eyebrows furrowed down at the device.

"What have you done with Robin?!" Cyborg yelled at the gadget.

"I've already told you all - I don't have him."

Cyborg growled down at the gadget.

"You know, Cyborg. You really ought to have more faith in your own friends," Slade said darkly. "Then, maybe, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"What mes—"

Slade pressed another button on his remote. He could feel the vibrations from where he sat as, for the second time that night, a building ruptured with explosions. All of his cameras went dead at once, his screen going to static. He smiled to himself and grabbed the cup of tea sitting next to him, listening to the roar of the erupting fires and the crash of a building collapse. Music to his ears. Gloved fingers gripped the handle of the tiny spoon resting on the saucer. He lifted it tenderly and dipped it into his drink, stirring with his mind lost in thought.

So, Robin truly had vanished… vanished, and in great danger, judging by Cyborg's carelessness.

Very interesting, he said to himself. What manner of villain could not only snatch Robin away from the Titans, but also from under his own nose unawares? He set down his cup and got to his feet, stepping to the window and peering out at the blazing, half-demolished building down the street. He crossed his arms and drummed his fingertips on one of his plated shoulders. His eyes and ears were all over this city… he felt a little appalled that an evil feat of this caliber had taken place without his knowledge.

He wondered who this creature was, the one that abducted the leader of the Teen Titans. He wondered where he was from, what his motives were. He wondered where he had taken the boy. He wondered what he was doing to him. Was it even one person, or a whole group of criminals? All these questions and more tugged at every edge of his mind, and he knew he had no choice but to track down the truth in order to sooth his own overwhelming curiosity. He chuckled silently as he pictured himself facing some other villain, quite possibly his equal, and felt downright torn about whether or not he would kill him on the spot, or give him a big hug and request they join forces.

Another section of the old hotel collapsed in a torrent of billowing flame… sirens wailed somewhere far away, getting closer… He stepped away from the window and stepped over to the staticky television, turning it off with a click of a knob, drowning the world into a faint red darkness.

Yes… this truly was interesting.

Time to start looking...

* * *

**A/N**

So, I was watching Divide and Conquer, one of the first episodes, initially to see the Cyborg/Robin fight that occurred then, but then, THEN, I saw Slade with a cup of tea! And a BUTLER! Dude, whatever happened to that butler? I had to write the cup of tea into my story, but the butler ain't so lucky. I figure he wouldn't be alive now, anyway, that Slade must've done him in loooong ago if he never appeared in the series again (although correct me if I'm wrong about that. It's been awhile since I've watched season 1, minus Masks and Apprentice)

Sorry about the long update time (in relationship to my most recent activity). I had a hard time setting this chapter up the way I wanted to. But it's gold now! :D Mwahahaha, cliffhangers! Next chapter was actually written before this one, and will be up soon, after I crazy proofread it like I crazy proofread everything.


	13. Famous Last Words

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Ch 13: Famous Last Words**

**(**Insert usual disclaimer and rating here**)**

**Author's Note:**

So, I said this was gonna be out the same day as the last chapter. Well, then I read it, and I was like, wait, this is CRAP! So I had to crazy rewrite it, because this is an important chapter. It's chapter thirteen! And as you know, thirteen is an unlucky number. Sorry Robin, but you get its curse. R&R everybody! :

* * *

He was lying flat on the ground… He was injured… something told him he was… but wait… how could that be? He didn't remember getting injured, and he didn't feel injured. There was not even the slightest twinge of pain in his body …in fact, there wasn't a feeling of anything in his body… it was almost as if it wasn't there… Well, he couldn't have been too terribly injured then, could he? Perhaps he could simply just stay lying there and be careful not to move, or breathe, or think, until someone came and helped him. He wouldn't have to feel anything… he would be okay…

No sooner did he think that, the pain registered.

Hard.

A rasping cry ripped out through clenched teeth as his head erupted with pain far greater than anything he had felt so far. His right hand snapped up in reflex, grabbing hold of his pounding head, practically ripping his hair out as his skull threatened to crack open from his swelling brain. His other arm had attempted to hold his head as well, but when he so much as twitched it, his shoulder exploded in a way which rivaled that of his head. Tears streamed down his cheeks: he couldn't fight them back this time, couldn't fight the sobs that spilled out of him from his injuries. His body writhed on the ground, spine twisting and contorting from the pain flooding his senses, as though it had no idea what else to do. It all hurt way too much…

_Just calm down,_ a voice from somewhere inside him told him calmly_. Thrashing around is only going to make it all worse. Just lay still, calm down, take deep breaths…_

Robin's face stretched back in a suffering grimace. He couldn't lay still, let alone breathe properly. Panic was clutching at his heart. What if he was suffering from massive brain damage? What if his shoulder was broken beyond repair?

_Just breathe_ that voice said. _Focus on your breathing._

What would that do, he asked the voice dimly. His body was trembling violently, and even that on its own was enough to make his shoulder and head hurt beyond endurance. He breathed in shallow gasps. Really, he should simply stop breathing, stop feeling, stop hurting….

_No. Keep breathing. The pain will go away soon enough. Just breathe._

Robin took a breath, very carefully, trying to raise his chest slowly so that he couldn't feel it in his shoulder. It was hard work to focus like that, and he accidentally let the air out quickly, sending a rush of pain through him.

_Try again…_

He took another slow, deep breath, listening to its soft, rushing hollow sound. He held it as long as he could, and then listened to it as he released it, the air escaping him like an ocean wind. Tears were still dripping down his cheeks as he pulled in another lungful.

_Good… you're doing great…count them…_

Well, he was already on breath three. He released it gently and sucked in another. Four… and another… five. Five long breaths of air.

_Not so hard, is it?_

Ten long breaths of air… and then twenty, then fifty… Slowly, ever so slowly, his body began to relax, no longer shaking, with the pain dwindling little by little. At around two hundred and fifty, he felt his blurry, exhausted brain begin to float away, no longer focusing on the pain, or even on his breathing… It left the aches of his body behind, slipping into hazy memories.

"_It'll be okay, sweetheart…"_

A voice… a soft, soothing voice, distant but dear… it was talking to him from long ago, telling him he would be feeling better soon… he was six years old again… she was sitting next to him, on a bed in a trailer which rocked as it headed for another circus performance. Gentle hands smoothed his hair; a mother's touch…

"It hurts…" he mumbled softly to her. The rocking of the car was jarring him a little, making his arm ache dully. He glanced down at it and saw it encased in a brightly colored cast.

The beautiful woman of his past took his arm lightly in her hands. From her pocket she produced a marker, and she began drawing on it. After a moment, a juggling stick figure clown was smiling back at them from its bright surface.

"It's Jonas," she told him with a grin, her eyes sparkling mischievously as she gave her doodle crossed eyes and a silly smile. He giggled a little despite his pain. Jonas was a clown in their circus, a funny man who loved playing little tricks on everyone. Now, it was like she was playing a silent trick on him. "He'll probably be by a little later, when we reach Gotham." she added. "Marcy and Greta, too."

"No," he said to her, pulling his sheets closer to him with his good arm as she continued drawing on his other, writing "Mom was here" on it in funny letters. "Don't let them. They'll laugh at me…"

"Now, dearest, why would they do that?"

"Because I fell," he said bitterly. "I'll never get that trick right… I should just give up…"

She looked up at him sadly, capping the marker and setting it on the nightstand beside him. She reached over and pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him in a hug only a mother could give. He fell quiet, resting his head on her chest. Her melodic voice hummed inside it as she explained: "Sometimes, falls happen, even to the greatest of performers. It's nothing to be ashamed of, sweetie. All you need to do is get over them, learn from them, and try again."

"Do I have to?" he asked her with a pout. He didn't even want to look at a tight rope again, let alone be on one. Or even one way up high where his parents always performed.

"You don't have to, we've always told you that. But you'll never get any better if you just give up. I never would have gotten to be what I am if I gave up every time I fell…"

"You've fallen?" he asked incredulously, eyes widening in amazement.

"Yes," she said with a smile. "I've fallen, I've slipped, I've screwed up probably fifty acrobat pyramids, and I even ran into a pole once and needed stitches on my forehead." She pointed to an odd dent by her eyebrow as proof.

"Wow," he said slowly, eyes still wide. He didn't really fully believe her. After all, she was perfect. He was glad he had never seen her fall…

"But I kept on going," she went on, "despite it all. And I know that if you keep on going the way you have been, you'll one day be better than me and your father put together."

"Really?" he asked with awe..

"I'm sure of it," she said with a smile, tapping him on the nose. "We already call you the Boy Wonder. Imagine what you'll be called when you're all grown up!"

"But, what if I become a doctor or something when I grow up?"

"Then we'll call you Doctor Wonder," she laughed. He laughed too. Doctor Wonder sounded silly, like a dorky comic superhero name. He looked up at her. She stared down at him, blue eyes sparkling.

"And no matter what," she said softly, holding him tightly to her once again, "you'll always be my Boy Wonder…"

He sighed and pressed his face into the collar of her shirt. She smelled so nice, and her embrace was so warm and loving… he wanted this moment to last forever, to never end… He looked up at her, at her beautiful smile, at her sparkling blue eyes. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how much she meant to him.

But even as he opened his mouth to speak, she vanished.

Robin blinked. His bedroom was suddenly replaced with the pitch darkness of his cell. He gave a deep, shuddering sigh as all the warmth and love was replaced with the dark bleakness of his imprisonment. The wetness of tears clung to his cheeks; he wiped them away with his good hand, silently cursing himself for dreaming about her. She was long gone. She would never again be there to take care of him… no matter how much he still wished she could be.

The pounding in his head had dulled to a mild ache during his long nap, and he felt very little trace of the truth serum that the madman had given him before. But his shoulder… very carefully, he moved his left arm a little. The nerves around his shoulder jolted alive with pain at the movement, but it wasn't as bad as he expected it to be – it was tolerable anyway. Slowly, cautiously, he rolled toward his good side and, focusing purely on his core muscles so not to put too much strain on his shoulder, he folded upright, coming up to sit. He held himself very still a moment, allowing any pain and dizziness to fall aside.

He brought his arm around, reaching toward his injured shoulder to feel the extent of his injuries when suddenly, his fingers swept across something floating before him. He gave a short gasp, jumping a little. His heart pounded in his head – he had no idea what that could have been. After a moment, his fingers cautiously reached out again, touching the foreign object before him. It felt like a thin, long tube. Slowly, his mind connected that that was exactly what it was. It was an IV drip. His fingers followed the plastic tube to his left arm - he hadn't even noticed it was there, his focus had been so intent on his shoulder. The boy's forehead crinkled in concern as he fingered the needle stuck into him, held in place with what felt like duct tape. What was the Joker putting into him now? He fumbled at the IV through the darkness, wincing a little as he pulled the tape off his arm and drew the needle from his vein. Fingers of each hand deftly gripped the needle and IV tube separately, and with some straining, and pain in his shoulder, he managed to yank apart the two pieces. A bit of the liquid inside dripped out onto his lap, and he brought his hand down to catch a few drops in his palm. He brought it to his nose and sniffed. It didn't really smell like anything. He gave it a little lick with his tongue. It was a little salty.

As he smacked his lips together, he realized that his mouth was wet with saliva for the first time since he was abducted. Understanding crept into his tired mind. It had to be saline… Stumbling clumsily and achingly to his knees, Robin followed the IV line upwards until his fingertips touched the bag duct-taped to the wall. The Titan ripped it down and felt it. It was pretty much empty.

A twitch of a smile toyed at the young boy's lips as he figured it all out. The Joker really had pulled out all the stops – he wasn't even going to allow Robin the satisfaction of putting water in his stomach, and had rehydrated him intravenously. The Boy Wonder tugged at the bag as hard as his injured shoulder would allow him, and it took much more effort than he would have liked before he tore the plastic pouch open. He pressed it to his mouth, sucking up whatever moisture remained. It wasn't much, but it felt great on his dry lips.

He dropped the bag to the ground and sat back on the floor, resting his shoulder blades against the cold concrete of the wall. What was going to happen next, his dull brain wondered. He looked back hazily over everything that had happened to him so far. He realized that every time he woke from being unconscious (how many times was that now? Three? Five?), the Joker had been ready for him. Electrocution, laughing gas, interrogation, humiliation, beatings… surely, the Joker would soon be barging in to do some other awful thing or another… An unsolicited shudder passed through him at the thought, as though his body itself feared the Joker's arrival. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His body had gone through so much, but he knew he could get through whatever the Joker had for him next… he hoped…

Time dragged on, and nothing happened. Robin massaged his shoulder a little, and ignored the achingly empty feeling in his stomach, as he waited for the Joker to act, his mind growing clear enough to really think for the first time since his abduction. It wandered everywhere at once, wondering where he was, how much time had passed, what his friends were doing, how they were doing, what the Joker was really up to, how much longer he would be here, what would happen next, just on and on his mind raced, so many questions with no real answers.

Robin cradled his left arm with his other, relieving his swollen shoulder from the pull of gravity. His mind finally focused intently on his friends, the Teen Titans. A good long time had passed since Robin had disappeared - he honestly had no idea how much time it was; it could have been two days, or a week and a half for all he knew. However long it was, it was already much longer than Robin would ever have expected at the beginning of it all. His friends were such great superheroes, and great detectives. He thought they would have found him by now…

He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall, centering his mind fully on his memories of them. His heart ached - he missed them all so much… Starfire, with her radiating beauty, her awkwardness in language, and her unrelenting kindness; Beast Boy, immature and quirky, but with a heart pure and loyal; Raven, level-headed and practical, with a silent presence which, while perhaps morose and stiff, was also comforting; and Cyborg, strong, reliable, stubborn… Robin sighed again, feeling a twinge of sadness. That stupid fight they'd had… he'd almost forgotten about it. Honestly, he really didn't care anymore, about any of it – the disagreements, the name-callings, the silent treatment - but he did care about his friend. Cyborg's conscience was probably in overdrive by now with Robin missing so soon after such a horrible feud, the Boy Wonder lamented. He knew how Cyborg could be when his emotions got the better of him, and prayed the cybernetic Titan was handling the situation well, keeping his head. In fact, Robin hoped all the Titans were doing alright, and that their delay in coming to his rescue had nothing to do with their own wellbeing…

He sighed and lifted his knees up, resting his elbows on them. His mind suddenly shifted to the Joker. What _was_ that madman up to? It seemed to the Teen Titans leader that everything the villain had done so far made little sense overall. However, he knew from experience that _everything_ the Joker did was part of some big, psychotic picture, even if that picture was one of complete chaos and pandemonium. Right now, Robin could only see one possible reason for the Joker to even kidnap him, and that was his information on Batman. Yet, so far, the only question the Joker had asked so far was who he, Robin, really was… Robin wiggled his toes absentmindedly. Was the Joker just trying to get questioning started, just get the boy to break down and admit _something_, and then bringing the focus onto Batman? Or did he have something else in mind… it just seemed like it went so much further than just finding out about Batman, especially with the laughing gas treatments… why would Joker risk making Robin crazy if he wanted information out of him?

And that was another thing… the laughing gas… Robin rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly, shifting a little where he sat. How could it be that the laughing gas had hardly any effect on him? It wiped his mind away and made him laugh to unconsciousness, but when he came to, he was perfectly fine (minus whatever situation he awoke to find himself in). He ran a hand through his flat, grossly unwashed hair. Nothing seemed to fall into place right, given everything he ever knew about the Joker's toxin. Maybe Batman had given Robin some kind of vaccine against it without him even knowing it, or maybe he just built up some sort of immunity… or maybe the Joker came in and gave him an antitoxin before he was too far gone. He just didn't know… He glanced around through the darkness, his eyes falling onto the ceiling. That red light stared back at him, reminding him so much of the Joker's piercing red glare. He was watching….

…Maybe, Robin thought, patting his fingers idly on his bare knees in a random pattern. …Maybe it had nothing to do with immunity or antitoxin or anything like that. Perhaps it was something inside him, a part of whatever it was that made him Robin that kept the laughing toxin from grabbing hold of his mind and pulling him down to madness… maybe the toxin didn't work, because his very spirit was stronger than it…

A grin cracked the boy's lips, his heart beating away inside his chest as he continued to stare at the red light above him. Something was awakening inside the teenaged hero as these thoughts took hold. He suddenly felt strong, brave, full of life. The pain in his shoulder faded into the background as his soul illuminated with white-hot energy. He was getting to his feet, eyes still fixed on that red dot on the ceiling.

"You'll never win!" he found himself calling fiercely to the light. "Do you hear me, Joker? You'll never win!" He straightened himself out to full height, feet planted firmly, whole body strong and sturdy as his voice raised in declaration. "I'm Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, and I cannot be broken!"

"Oh, I beg to differ…" the Joker's voice filtered in though the speakers of the room, sounding calm and confident. Robin smiled. He was glad to hear that voice after all the silence. "Every man has his breaking point, Bird Brain. And trust me, in the end, you're going to be no more unbreakable than a piñata."

"Go ahead and try me," Robin spat.

"Oh, I intend to. But for now, I'm just going to continue playing games with you."

The hiss of gas accompanied Joker's cackle of psychotic amusement. Robin didn't waver, still standing his ground as the air grew strong with the pungent scent of the laughing toxin. His throat began to rumble with chuckles, but he held fast.

"I'll never break!" he shouted between laughs. "Never!"

"You keep telling yourself that," the clown said disbelievingly as Robin began to teeter, the toxin taking full hold. His watery eyes remained staring upwards at the red light as he fell back against the wall painfully and slid to the floor. His laughter doubled as the light clicked black, and he was left alone in his temporary insanity

* * *

"How do ya like that?!" Harley leaned back in her chair, throwing her arms across her breasts in an angry pout as the Joker turned the monitor off. "I mean, really, where does he get off actin' like that after all we've done for him?"

"Don't worry, Poo. He'll learn," her boyfriend replied softly, getting to his feet and walking from her. She turned to look at him, kind of taken aback by his soft-spokenness. He made his way to the machine that controlled the laughing toxin pouring into Robin's cell, and surveyed it thoughtfully. Harley jumped to her feet and waltzed over to him.

"So what is this stuff?" she asked in her nasally voice, bending over him to peer at the tank containing the gas. "It's not the laughing toxin you usually use, or else that Bird Boy would be totally cuckoo for cocoa puffs by now!" She reached out to tap on the tank, when a white-gloved hand snatched out and gripped her painfully by the wrist.

"How many times have I told you not to touch?!" the Clown Prince of Crime spat as he threw his arm back, knocking Harley off her feet and onto the floor. She gave a short cry as she landed hard on her butt.

"Hey, I'm not gonna break it!" she protested, getting to her knees and rubbing her hand along her rump with a pout. "You don't trust me, Mr. Jay?"

"You know that's a trick question," said the Joker simply, tinkering a little with the machine.

Harley sucked on her bottom lip, crinkling her forehead in thought. Was it?

"So!" she said with a sudden smile, choosing to forget about it as she clapping her hands together as she jumped to her feet. "Speaking of breaking things, what're we gonna do about Robin."

"Hrm?" the Joker asked, half-listening.

"Well, I mean, ya heard him. 'I'm Robin, leader of the Teen Titans and I cannot be broken – Pthhhhhbpt!" she blew a raspberry and stuck her tush up into the air mockingly. Then, she plopped herself down on the ground and began batting at one of the drooping points of her jester's hat. "But seriously, any normal kid woulda cracked open days ago, yet he's still goin strong. What if he can't be broken?"

"Now, now, my dear," the Joker said with a wide smile, glancing back at her. "He'll be broken. I'm just taking my time. Trust me – anyone can be broken."

"Really?"

"Yes…" the Joker's gaze left her as his voice trailed off. He turned his head, staring blankly into space, his voice becoming almost whimsical. "Any man can have one really bad day, and end up just like me…"

Harley's eyes widened up at the Joker, her heart stalling a little in her chest. There was a hint of something in the clown's voice… something that made her think he was alluding to himself, his own past… The shrink within her was suddenly very curious. Was one day all it took to make him the all-feared Clown Prince of Crime? With a shake of her head, she quickly pushed that part of her away. She knew better than to try and really get involved here.

"So, do you have a really bad day in mind for our little Robin?" she asked, gripping her ankles and rocking a little on the floor.

The other villain broke out into a wide smile, suddenly his usual jolly, insane self.

"A couple of bad days, just to be on the safe side…."

Harley giggled and clapped.

This was going to be a trip...


	14. Lost and Found

**Chapter 14: Lost and Found **

Disclaimer: Yeah right, as if I were lucky enough to actually OWN any of this… but I ain't making any money off this. Just an ego. And that's not copyright infringement… is it?

Rating: M

Author's Note:

**CONGRATULATIONS to XROCKIN-ROBIN!! :D**

**Winner of the 100****th**** Reviewer Award!!**

**Also winner of the Most Awesome Reviewer Award!!**

**This chapter is dedicated to her! **

Really, I should just dedicate the whole story to her. :P Cuz she's awesome, and this chapter actually rather sucks. At least to me. I mean, Robin isn't even IN this chapter. He's in the next one, but that chapter is dedicated to someone else. You'll understand when you get there.

R&R!! Damn, I'm on a roll.

* * *

The Earth really is an enormous place…

And she loathed that fact with every fiber of her being.

Raven sat cross-legged in midair in the center of her room, her forehead crinkling as she fought to concentrate her tired mind on finding their missing leader. But she wasn't having much luck... Every part of her knew she was overdoing it, that she was too exhausted, especially after the Wayne building fiasco. However, after days of failure, she just couldn't sleep without trying…

She didn't understand why she was having such a hard time establishing a connection with Robin. She'd pour all her powers and strength into finding him, but then, just when she thought she was close, she would lose him. It was like something would just slam into her train of thought and veer it off course, causing her to connect with random other peoples' minds. She still hadn't gotten as close to him as she had that first night, when she felt his pain...

When her third attempt of the night sent her hurtling into the very pink, girly mind of a six-year-old child in the Middle of Nowhere, Arkansas, she decided it was no use. Not tonight, she told herself with a long, gloomy sigh, stretching her feet down to the floor and allowing gravity to take hold of her once again. She wavered a little, her body past exhaustion. She pressed her knuckles into her eyes, rubbing with a groan. She'd simply have to try again in the morning…

She dropped her hands and glanced around the room. Her floor was covered in magician's sand, carefully arranged in intricate diagrams meant to enhance her powers so she could find Robin. She grazed her foot across a small part of it, scattering a good hours-worth of handiwork. It didn't matter. It hadn't helped her find Robin. Nothing was working…. A twinge of frustration hit her as she stepped carelessly across the rest of her work, making her way to her dresser. She took a sip of water from a goblet sitting there, and then set it down gently, staring deeply ahead of her, her thoughts swimming around unchecked in her fatigued brain

She'd never been so concerned about anyone before. This whole situation with Robin just… didn't feel right. Every hour that passed just made her that much more uneasy. It bothered her that she couldn't find him, couldn't find out where he was, especially when she knew he was hurt, being tortured. Something inside her told her that time was running out... Her fingers curled into fists... she knew she was better than this… she knew that ordinarily, she would have been able to find him… so why couldn't she now, when it was so important…?

The goblet on the dresser suddenly shattered with a burst of twilight. The violet-haired girl jumped bac in surprise, little beads of copper and gold hitting her at high speed before falling to the ground. After taking a moment to settle her excited nerves, she shook her head hard. Calm down, she told herself. You're letting your emotions get the better of you… It had been months since she'd last lost control of her powers like that...

She made her way to her bed. It was definitely time for her to sleep. But no sooner had she sat upon the mattress and threw the covers aside, footsteps sounded upstairs. Raven glanced up at the ceiling. The heavy footfalls were a dead giveaway – Cyborg was on the move. She furrowed her eyebrows at the ceiling. Did he find out something about Slade? Was he coming down to get them? She reached out with her mind and felt him, his emotions, his intentions, clear as day.

He was going to go after Slade alone.

She sighed and listened to his footsteps pounding down the staircase beside her room, heading for the garage. She wanted nothing more than to just crawl into bed and go to sleep, but she knew she couldn't yet. She had to follow Cyborg, and make sure he didn't get into trouble, the way Robin had. She stood back up and made her way to the window, pulling the hood of her cloak up over her head. She pushed the window open, and dove out towards the galaxy of lights that was Jump City.

Once she crossed the ocean and hovered above the sprawling metropolis, she pulled out her communicator. With a few taps on the buttons, the screen came alive with a map of Jump City. Another button click, and the map centered on the bleeping signal of Cyborg's locator as the other Titan drove his motorcycle out from their underground tunnel and onto the city streets. She watched as he turned corners and raced through intersections. He was heading downtown, to the slums. She tailed him from a far distance, being sure he didn't catch her presence with his many computerized sensors. He wanted to do this alone – she just wanted to be his back-up, just in case.

Cyborg's signal stopped near the intersection of 5th St and Park. She picked up her pace, cape fluttering around her in the cool night air. The smell of ash and smoke began to filter in around her, still lingering in the air from the fire earlier that evening. Her eyes panned over the buildings as she flew over. Fire trucks were still at ground zero of the Wayne Enterprises building, firemen shoveling ash and debris, making sure the flames were out for good. She shook her head. Such senseless waste and destruction… typical Slade…

Raven slowed to a hover as her own signal collided with Cyborg's on the screen. She peered down to find herself twenty feet above the rooftop of a large ramshackle hotel, looking as though it had been deserted decades ago. She lowered herself quietly down onto the roof, watching her communicator intently, following Cyborg's trail as he moved about inside the hotel below her. His elevation rose, and he doubled back on himself, and she noted that, with the change in height, he must be somewhere on the third floor. She paced around a little, still watching the screen. She knew where he was. She would be here if he got in trouble…

She gave a small yawn and looked up, out over the city. The usually bright lights seemed dim and hazy, disappearing from sight at a distance much closer than it should. A consequence of the fire… She sighed and pulled down the hood of her cloak in order to see better. The air felt still, paralyzed. The whole of Jump City seemed just as gloomy as she felt.

Suddenly, the building beneath her gave a little shudder, and a small explosion clapped through the silent night. She spun around, quickly alert.

"You've got to be kidding," she grumbled as she sprinted for the edge of the rooftop, leaping off into the middle courtyard of the hotel, and soaring downwards toward a small puff of smoke coming from a nearby third-floor window.

"Slade!" Cyborg's voice rang out through the window opening. "You bastard! You disgusting bastard! What have you done with Robin?!"

Raven felt a leap of adrenaline. So Cyborg had found Slade. She prepared herself as she reached the window, calling forth her powers, ready to strike.

But when she arrived at the windowsill and looked inside, she was surprised to discover that it was just Cyborg in there, looking all right, if a little soot-covered. His eyes burned with anger as he stared down at something in his hand. She hesitated a moment, watching him.

"You know, Cyborg," came Slade's voice, staticky and tinny, through a small speaker in Cyborg's grasp. "You really ought to have more faith in your own friends. Then, maybe, you wouldn't be in this mess."

The hair on the back of Raven's neck prickled with a deep sense of foreboding.

"What m-" began Cyborg.

And then, the world vanished, engulfed in a giant sea of flame.

Raven screamed as it swallowed her up, racing across her skin, leaving burns in its wake. Her mind had gone blank, but somehow, her powers sprang into action, encasing first her friend, and then herself, in orbs of shimmering ivory magic. She clutched her eyes tight, teeth clenched hard in a mixture of pain and concentration as she fought to pull the two of them from the rocking, blazing torrent of explosions that was once the old hotel. Her focus wavered as they were thrown around in the surge of fire and debris. Another explosion rocketed around them violently. Her powers were slowly slipping from her grasp… she cried out as she strained to maintain its hold, just enough to get out of the fire, out of danger… but it was too much… the orbs flickered, then vanished… They were falling…

* * *

Cyborg cried out as his body hit the ground. Behind him, the hotel blazed, completely swallowed up in flame, just like the Wayne building had. Its heat was intense, and so close. He got quickly to his hands and knees, ignoring the smell of overheated metal and the pain of burns on the few human parts of him. His mind was racing. What the hell had happened? How did he get out of that?

Then he saw Raven lying on her side a few feet away. His eyes widened at her. She was unconscious, her leotard and cape singed badly, and shining burns streaked across her arms and legs and face. He stumbled to his feet and ran over to her.

"Raven!" he gasped, leaning down beside her. She groaned a little, shifting, and relief passed over him. She was going to be okay. He knew it.

A loud crash deafened him, like a clap of thunder. Cyborg looked up and saw a ball of billowing fire heading right for them as the building collapsed.

"Aw, crap!" he gasped, quickly scooping up his injured friend and sprinting from the scene. The inferno slammed to the ground just behind him as he ran down the street, heat and gas blasting at his back, smoldering embers kissing his metal body, creating scratches and sparks. He ran as fast as he could across the wide, deserted street, toward an alley between two other buildings down the way. As he stepped onto the loose gravel of the alleyway, he lost his footing and fell, Raven rolling from his arms with a grunt.

"Shit! Raven!" he muttered, cursing at himself for dropping her as he got back to knees, crawling his way back to her side. She groaned and shifted as he approached, then lifted her head and looked over at him.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Raven pushed herself slowly to her hands and knees, and then sat back on her heels. A wince flashed across her face as she looked down at her burns, now agitated and speckled with gravel from the road.

"Nice," she muttered softly, picking a rock from one shining wound and flicking it away.

"Raven…" Cyborg said softly, wide eyes in concern, reaching out for her. "Are you…"

"Are you okay?" she asked first, looking over at him with those purple eyes.

"I- yes, yeah. I am. But, are you?"

Raven pressed a hand against one of her worst burns, her face scrunching up a little in a grimace. "I will be… just need a long healing meditation, that's all…"

Sirens wailed nearby, and shouts could be heard in the distance. Cyborg glanced back between the buildings at the cascading fire, his heart pounding in his chest. A wave of cold washed over him.

If Raven hadn't been there to save him, there was no way he would have survived…

"Rae, I…"

"Why didn't you come and get any of us?" she said with an edge of irritation, getting to her feet with a grimace. "At a time like this, you should know better than to go after Slade on your own."

"I know," he muttered, following her lead and standing. He glanced over at the fire, then at her, at her burns, feeling horrible guilt wash over him. "I… God, Raven… I-I'm sorry…"

"Cyborg! Raven!"

The two of them looked up. Starfire was speeding straight for them, trailing a streak of green light in the darkness behind her. Beast Boy followed, a giant green pterodactyl. Starfire landed deftly beside them, and gasped as she saw Raven's injuries.

"Oh no! Raven! You have been burned."

"…Yeah," said Raven, in a no-duh kind of voice.

"Dude, twice in one night?" Beast Boy asked incredulously, lighting upon the sidewalk and returning to normal. "Slade is putting in overtime!"

"You two went out looking for Slade yourselves?" asked Starfire. "Why did you not ask us for help?"

"Ask Cyborg that," growled Raven, looking over at the cybernetic Titan.

"I.." He looked over at Starfire and Beast Boy. He felt even more awful. He should have counted on them, like they counted on him. "I'm sorry. I went after Slade myself…" Starfire and Beast Boy stared at him with wide, serious eyes. "I figured out where he was and I thought he'd have Robin… turns out he didn't… I should have listened to y'all. It was a trap, and I fell for it. I'm sorry."

"You almost got yourself killed, didn't you?!" Beast Boy barked at him. "Are you crazy, or just plain stupid?"

"I just wanted to find Robin…" said Cyborg softly, leaning against the wall of the alleyway. He glanced over at the building burning just yards from them. It had collapsed into the street, a wall of fire.

"We all do…" said Starfire sadly. "But the only way we are going to find him is by working together."

"The last thing we need…" spoke up Raven in a low voice, staring at the ground before her "…is to lose another teammate."

"Especially you," added Starfire, laying a hand on Cyborg's shoulder.

Cyborg sighed and hung his head, gripping the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. His heart felt heavy with guilt and grief over his actions, both of that night and before Robin's abduction. He almost wished it could have been him who had vanished, instead of Robin… He knew that if he had been the one to disappear, Robin would've figured it all out and found him ages ago. The Teen Titans leader's detective skills were legendary, possibly greater than the rest of the Titans put together. His cleverness, his drive, his ability to spot even the most minute detail and use it to his advantage… it was as though they needed Robin just to find him.

Cyborg glanced up at the smoke-filled sky as the other Titans decided amongst themselves to help the firefighters again. The sun was going to be up soon.

He prayed that on this new day, they would have some luck.

* * *

The sun was already up on the other side of the country, and it was an early day for the members of the Teen Titans East.

"Catch me if you can, snotbags!" shouted Gizmo, racing through the streets on a small, jet-propelled hovercraft. Bumblebee flew after him, electric guns zapping as she tried to shoot the villain-in-training from the sky.

"Return what you've stolen!" she shouted.

"You ain't got nothin' on me, Bumble-Breath!!" the little kid spat and accentuated it with a raspberry. He pressed a button on his control panel and a burst of flame shot out his tailpipe. He burst forward, quickly accelerating faster than Bee could fly. She growled and aimed her zapper, but missed once more. Gizmo squealed with twisted delight, speeding around the corner and out of sight.

Suddenly, a huge wave of water crashed down the street, cascading over Gizmo and bringing his car down. Aqualad rode it like he was surfing, arms waving as he controlled his raging river. Gizmo was grounded, the water short-circuiting his vehicle. He screamed loud curses and jumped away before the hovercraft exploded.

He was about to make a break for it, but suddenly found himself bowled over and pinned down by the two Mexican speedsters, Mas y Menos. The three younger boys all wrestled around a little before Speedy appeared and grabbed the fallen troublemaker by the collar, lifting him easily off the ground. The little villain kicked and punched the air angrily, trying to shake the older boy off him.

"Get away from me you rackin-frackin Titan!" he shouted, still struggling in vain.

"Not until you give us what you've stolen!" said Aqualad sternly, crossing his arms.

"That's the thing, I ain't stolen nothin'!"

"Oh yeah? That's not what we heard," Bee told him.

"Yeah, well, guess what, you heard wrong. I'm just a messenger."

"Messenger?" Speedy raised an eyebrow.

"Yup. I've got a letter her for you twerps from our headmaster. He told me to get your attention and hand this over to ya."

Gizmo reached into a compartment on his technosuit. Bumblebee raised her zapper, ready in case it was some sort of trick.

He raised something high in the air, yellow, circular. Bee looked at it for a moment, and then horror hit her.

It was the letter R insignia from Robin's costume.

"Robin…" gasped Aqualad, taking a step forward.

"That's right, you scuzz-barfing pickle-yankers! I know where he is, and I ain't telling you!"

"You'd better," threatened Bee, holding her guns right up to Gizmo's nose.

"I've done what I was told! Smell you turds later!"

He clicked something on his vest, and tear gas engulfed them all. Bumblebee jumped back, hacking and coughing and struggling to see. When the air cleared, Gizmo had vanished.

"Little bastard BIT me!" spat Speedy, holding his hand and wincing. Blood trickled from teeth marks next to his thumb.

"Aw, probrecito!" said the young twins together in mocking concern

"I'm warning you two..." growled Speedy, running his hands up his arms as though he was pushing back his sleeves.

"Guys, cool it! All that is fine for your after-chess scrambles, but this is serious." Bee glanced at the ground, where the R of Robin's costume laid abandoned. She bent over and picked it up, holding it gently in her hands a moment before looking at the others. "We need to get a hold of Cyborg and the others. Robin is here in Steel City."


	15. A Spitting Image

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 15:** A Spitting Image…

**Rating: M-ish**

**Disclaimer: **Not mine!

**Author's Note:**

This chapter is dedicated to Heath Ledger,  
possibly the greatest Joker there ever was  
and ever will be.  
R.I.P.

(Sorry Mark Hamill… I still love you too!)

* * *

It was so different this time…

So different...

He lay sprawled out on his back, mouth stretched back in a painful grimace he couldn't erase. His eyes, frozen wide open, burning and dry from hours spent unblinking. Quiet, breathless laughs still escaped him every so often, his voice long gone. His whole body shook violently against the floor, cold sweat soaked his bare skin, a fit of fever that his slowly returning mind embraced. Fever meant his immune system had finally kicked in, fighting the laughing toxin that poisoned his body. Though, it wasn't yet clear which was winning...

He hadn't passed out this time… not like before. True, he had lost awareness, but it wasn't unconsciousness he had experienced… no, not unconsciousness... it was insanity. His mind had unraveled completely, losing touch with his body, his brain, his heart. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before... it was nearly indescribable, the feeling of disconnectedness, the complete inability to think a coherent thought… to suddenly find yourself having no idea who you are or what is real... Now, his mind was returning to him, and his heart reached out and clung on to it with all its might, so grateful, so happy to have it back...

But at the same time, he was more frightened than ever in his life…

He rolled a little to one side, a rush of relief coursing through him. He could move again. The toxin was wearing off. His body was winning. Almost on cue, his eyelids closed for the first time in countless hours, and he kept them closed… he never wanted to open them again… Every part of his body still trembled fiercely as he slowly curled himself into a fetal position. One last silent chuckle leapt from his throat before all his emotions broke forth from him at once and he dissolved into silent, tearless sobs.

He couldn't believe how terrible that had been… the laughing toxin… it had never been like that before… that strong... that awful … The smile still stretched across his face, teeth clenched and bared in a wild sneer… his cheek muscles were still paralyzed, and it didn't feel like they were relaxing like the rest of him... He wrapped his arms around himself, rocking a little. So terrible… the madness… He never wanted to feel that way again… never…

The scraping sound of the door opening startled him hard, sending a jolt of panic through him so viciously that he nearly re-dislocated his shoulder. He cried out and gripped it, simultaneously rolling away from the light that was flooding the barren room.

"Oh, little booooy!" Harley's obnoxious voice echoed through the chamber. "'S time to get up!"

Robin groaned angrily and pressed himself up against the wall. Little boy… that phrase felt so degrading…. Hatred surged through him as the sultry jester stepped lightly into the room, towards him.

"Aww, whazzamatter, baby-cakes? Not feeling so good?"

Her hand touched him.

And something inside him snapped.

"Get the FUCK away from me!" His voice came out as a loud rasping whisper as he swung himself around, his arm connecting with her painted face. She cried out and fell backwards to the floor, completely caught off gaurd. Robin's mind had gone white. He couldn't stop himself. He was diving at her, his fists flying, feverishly attacking the woman who had helped capture him… helped keep him captive. He yanked at one of the points of her hat, and she screamed as her ponytail inside it got pulled painfully.

It was a moment before he became aware of thought floating freely in his head

…_The door… the door is open… _

He didn't need to be told twice. He yanked once more on Harley's hat, sending her bowling forward face-first on the ground, and clamored by her and to his feet, stumbling weakly but quickly out the door and into the hallway. His heart exploded with hope as he staggered down the corridor...

He was out... he was free...

And then suddenly, he was down, his stomach erupting in an explosion of fire. His mind went wild, not sure what had just happened. Why wasn't he running anymore?

"I don't think so!"

Robin blinked through tear-filled eyes, the wind completely knocked out of him. The lanky figure of the Joker wavered in and out of focus above him, his white gloves gripping the handle of the same wooden mallet that Harley had used that first night in Jump City. Robin gaped up at the villain, unable to breathe, body frozen in a strong mixture of hatred, dread, and pain.

The Joker gave a wild, leaping burst of maniacal laughter.

"My, my. Not leaving so soon, are you? You're practically one of the family now... I mean, you even have my smile..."

Robin felt himself sliding again, his eyes burning with hate, the grin etched on his face growing even wider as it mixed with a grimace of fury. He was getting to his feet, charging forward, any pain within him vanishing from awareness. All he cared about, all he wanted, more than anything in the world, was to destroy the monster that had done all this to him… to take him down… annihilate him… kill him…

But the Joker was faster. The next thing Robin knew, the clown was behind him, a purple-clad arm wrapping under his own, forcing his injured shoulder up into a horrible position. Robin cried out, and the Joker's other arm wrapped around him, holding him to his chest. Then, something cold, thin, metallic slid into the teen's mouth, between teeth and cheek. Robin froze in horror as the Joker pressed the sharp edge of a knife against the inside of his cheek.

"Now, now… settle down…" The Joker's voice was low, almost gentle, sending a strange, tingling feeling down the hero's spine. "You're just going to make things worse for yourself…"

Robin held his breath as the blade pushed more against his gums, threatening to slice his mouth open. His body was still trembling… he wished he could stop himself from shaking so much…

"Now, will you agree to cooperate?" the Joker asked in a poisonous voice. Robin clenched his eyes shut against it. He had never heard the Joker talk that way. It was even more terrifying than his normal, high-pitched evil voice. Robin didn't make any noise, or movement. He couldn't. He felt frozen, broken. The Joker didn't seem to like this – he gave a little tug of his arm, and Robin yelped as the knife split the inside corner of his mouth a little. Blood began pooling under his tongue, and trickled down his chin. The tinny taste of it made his head spin.

"How about now? Will you cooperate?" The knife was sliding in between the folds of the cut, threatening to slice it open more. With tears filling his eyes, the young Titan gave a small, quick nod.

The Joker pulled the knife out and held it to the boy's neck. He called to Harley, who appeared off to the side, nursing a bloody nose from Robin's attack.

"Oh, suck it up," the Joker spat at her as she whimpered, a Kleenex held up to her nose, fresh with blood. "Go on ahead and we'll meet you there."

"Okay, Mr. Jay…" Harley muttered with a small whine, walking off. The Joker gave Robin a push to get him moving forward. Robin stumbled a little as he walked, shock and fear confusing his limbs. He could feel the blood oozing from his new wound, felt it dripping down the contour of his neck, a strange river of warmth on his otherwise cold skin.

Any sense of direction evaded him as the Joker led him away from his chamber. They went through hallways, around a corner or two, and finally through a door into a large, open room. In the middle, Robin saw the metal table that had brought him so much pain. A harsh twinge of fear struck him. No... no, please… not that again…

But the Joker steered him past the table, and led him through a door on the other side.

The Joker stopped as they entered a room perhaps twice as big as Robin's cell. It was empty save for Harley, who stood gripping onto a rope that hung from the ceiling, a wad of Kleenex up one nostril. The Joker pushed the knife harder against Robin's neck, the long edge of the blade dangerously close to the throbbing vein there.

"Go for it, Harley," the Joker said, releasing his hold a little on Robin, blade still ready to cut. Harley sprang forward with astonishing quickness, grabbing each of Robin's wrists and lashing them together with the rope. The Joker threw Robin forward as she finished. The Boy Wonder fell to his knees, but was then on his feet again as Harley pressed a button on a remote control, causing the rope to ascend upward. Soon he was dangling with just his tippy toes on the floor, his shoulder hollering in pain from all the weight straining on it. He grimaced against it, twisting a little against his bindings as he tried to hold his balance.

"All tied up, are we?" asked Harley, coming around behind him and pinching his naked butt. Robin's face went pink and he twisted around toward her. Without even thinking, he spat all the blood in his mouth out at her, but she jumped out of the way.

"Ew, gross!" she squealed.

Robin glared at her, and then noticed movement behind her. His gaze flickered to it, and horror struck him.

Wide, bloodshot eyes stared back at him from a gaunt, sunken face. Blood-stained teeth smiled manically at him. Robin realized with a rush of disbelief that he was staring at his own reflection in a mirror that made up the whole wall. He looked himself up and down with increasing shock. His hair was flat and messy, his injured shoulder a dark purple hue, and he could see cuts and bruises all along his naked body. The cut across his stomach that Harley had given him looked gross, infected… He looked so pale… he didn't look like himself… didn't even recognize himself… His eyes trailed back to his face, to his wild, insane grin… He looked like a psychopath.

"Well, well, look at that," said the Joker, coming up behind him and holding his head next to Robin's with a matching smile. "You're like a spitting image of me! We could easily be father and son."

Robin shook his head and closed his eyes tightly, his skin prickling with a chill that would not recede. This was getting out of hand, getting worse… where were his friends…?

"Yeah, you're right," said the villain at Robin's shaking head. "Something is just a little off…" the Joker paused and paced around Robin a little, rubbing his chin in thought. "Oh wait!" he said, thrusting a finger into the air. "I know! It's your skin! You're far too pink. Well, we can fix that, can't we Poo?"

"Sure can, Mr Jay!"

Robin looked up at him, that familiar sense of unease filling him. Fix it…?

"Come along, Harley!" the Joker said with a snap of his fingers. Robin watched him in the mirror as he walked from the room, his apprehension skyrocketing.

"Ooh, wait! Just one sec, Puddin'!!" Harley exclaimed. She jumped forward, the bells on her jester's hat tinkling as she pulled out the bit of Kleenex from her nose and, once inspecting it and her own nose to make sure she had stopped bleeding, flicked it at Robin's face.

"That's for spittin' at me!" she snapped at him, poking him hard in the chest before turning and skipping out the door. It slammed close, and Robin was left alone with his reflection and his overexcited nerves.

His body was still shaking severely, the ropes cutting painfully into his wrists… he was beginning to hyperventilate. He fought hard to calm himself down but found it to be impossible. His stared at himself in the mirror, at his wide, terrified eyes… at his sneering lips… he was supposed to be strong, in control of himself… yet he looked like this… was acting like this… he felt like he was losing himself…

Did that mean… did that mean the Joker was winning…?

Robin glanced wildly around him, his mind and heart both racing in panic. There wasn't anything else to look at, nothing to give away what would happen next. The room was completely empty, save for him, the mirror, and the florescent lights that shone brightly above him. He squinted up at them, his eyes still sensitive from his time in the dark cell. He could barely make out the silhouette of sprinklers in the ceiling, ordinary emergency sprinklers. His toes lightly stepped around on the floor, trying in vain to keep him steady, to keep weight off his wrists and bad shoulder. He wavered slowly, like a lonely flag on a bloodied battlefield.

A siren sounded, like a fire alarm. Robin spun around frantically, breathing in quick and shallow gasps as terror overtook him. What was going on?

He heard the hiss of the sprinklers coming to life above him.

The next few seconds seemed to pass in slow motion as the first few drops hit his skin. He cried out in horror, the drips of liquid feeling instead like hot sparks of fire on his flesh. And then, the downpour came. Hoarse screams echoed through the chamber as the sprinklers drowned the teen hero in a shower of excruciating pain. He twisted around where he hung, his shrieks leaping from his mouth in gargled bursts as the hellish rain continued to fall… fiery rain… acid rain…

The same acid that had created the Joker so many years before…

Robin's legs gave out – he was only remaining upright from the ropes. His shoulder threatened to break apart, but he didn't even notice… he felt like he was on fire… After a few moments, the rope gave way as the acid chewed clean through it, causing the young Titan to collapse on the floor, in a puddle of the terrible liquid cascading down on him. The acid burned and sizzled on his bare skin, destroying it, turning it a horrible, gleaming white. He gave a long, rasping wail, rolling and thrashing on the floor as the pain and agony consumed him. His mind was even shrieking inside his head, cursing the world, cursing the fire, wanting it to end.

The Joker's face swam into view in his mind's eye… he could hear the madman laughing at his misery, at his pain…

The laughter inside his own head was the last thing he was aware of.

He was not aware of the laughter bursting from his own lungs as he fell into darkness.

* * *

**A/N **

Just so you know—no, I don't know how Robin managed to smile maniacally and spit at Harley at the same time. He's Robin. He found a way. :P

So, I'm handing my computer over to Best Buy soon so they can fix the headphone jack (hopefully without breaking something else on the computer this time).

I also probably should do some actual homework for once... so I dunno when I'll get around to updating again... probably very soon, knowing me and my love of procrastinating/avoiding homework.


	16. Split Up, Gang

**Chapter 16: Split Up, Gang **

**Disclaimer and Rating, yadda yadda**

**Author's Note**

I'M STILL ALIVE! Just so you know. I know, it's been, like, over a month since I've last posted, and I crazy apologize for the wait. Going back to school and trying to adjust to a tv-obsessed roommate and just being burnt out in general… I just couldn't write. Oh, and computer issues. Grargh, fricken Geek Squad…

But now I'm up and running again! May be a little bit til the next update (because I'm not sure how to go about the next chapter… Ooooh powers that be, provide me inspiration), but at least it's not 4 fricken years between updates XD.

READ AND REVIEW! I luv all you people and your comments!! Oh, except you. Yeah, you. You know who you are.

* * *

Starfire stretched out her arms with a long yawn as she walked into the command center of Titans Tower. She blinked wearily into the room, the sunlight that poured through the large pane glass window far too bright for her exhausted eyes. She peeked a glance at the clock on the wall beside her. It was just a little past 9am. She pressed the knuckles of her fingers into her eyes sockets; she had only gone to bed maybe four hours beforehand, and not much of those four hours could remotely be compared to actual sleep. With another loud yawn, she made her way down the steps and into the kitchen on the right side of the room, pulling open cupboards in search of something with a lot of caffeine or sugar or cayenne pepper – preferably the latter. She figured out long ago that, for her, drinking a shot of Red Hot was comparable to the intensely caffeinated energy drinks Beast Boy downed to wake up if he was disturbed before noon.

With a deep sigh, she tossed aside the last empty bottle of Red Hot that had been left on the counter the day before. She had gone through what had to be half a dozen bottles since Robin's disappearance. So many nights spent restless, worried, tossing, turning, followed by so many days spent searching, thinking, fighting, worrying. She rummaged in the bottom cupboards, searching for something else, anything else. Finally, she located a can of Beast Boys energy drink of choice, Monster, hoping he wouldn't mind, and headed over to the big couch in the middle of the command center, flopping down heavily onto the cushions. She popped the tab on the can and took a sip - her face snapped into a wide-eyed look of grave disgust. It tasted absolutely awful. But she didn't want to spend the day in a complete fog, and she could never sleep anytime after 9am. She had never minded that before, but this time, it felt like a curse. She forced her throat to swallow down a few draughts of the drink and tried hard not to gag.

After a moment, she rested the drink on her knee and slumped down into the couch, abandoning her usual attention to posture. She soon understood why the others liked to sit like this, even though it was awful for your back. It was pretty comfortable. She closed her eyes and forced another sip of Monster down her throat, wishing the others were awake to keep her company. But they would all be sleeping awhile yet. Raven had a lot of healing to do after getting burned the night before, Beast Boy never awoke before noon, and though Cyborg could recharge in fifteen minutes, he tended to stay in standby for eight hours, in order to feel a little more like a normal teenager.

Robin would've been up by now, though….

Starfire sighed and took another dreadful sip. Robin so rarely slept in. He was often the first one up, off in the gym training, or in the lab doing his detective work, or getting a head start on fighting crime. It was during these early mornings when she missed him the most. They would share breakfast together, or he would spot her in the gym, or she'd be a sparring partner for him. The Tower felt so empty without him. The world felt so empty.

She forced down another mouthful of caffeine and looked around the empty command center. She peeked towards the windows, the sunlight pouring straight in.

And noticed the display settled between the windows flashing.

"What?" she asked herself, setting the drink on the floor by the couch and getting to her feet. She stepped forward a few steps for a better look. The words "5 Missed Calls" flashed back at her.

"Fangleblork…" she swore under her breath as she took a seat at the computer. They had all slept so hard, they hadn't even heard the sirens that went off when important communications came through. Possibly the police or someone had called to tell them that Slade was at it again... or something worse. Her orange fingers wavered gracefully over the keypad a moment before she found the right button and pressed it.

"You have 5 new voicemail" the computer told her unnecessarily.

Then, the golden brown face of Bumblebee flickered onto the giant screen before her.

"Hey, guys. I know it's early over there but this is important. We got a lead on Robin."

The chair clattered loudly on its back as Starfire shot to her feet, her heart suddenly beating hard in her chest. She leaned in towards the screen, holding her breath as the girl depicted there continued.

"The HIVE gang gave us this." Bumblebee held up a strip of yellow fabric. Starfire gasped. She knew it immediately. "They must know where he is. We're looking into it, but please, call us back the moment you guys wake up."

Beep!

"God, you guys sleep forever," said Speedy as his face replaced his leader's. "Wake up, call us back."

Beep!

"Hey guys, it's Aqualad. The others are out looking for any sign of HIVE, but we're having no luck. Give us a call."

Beep!

Starfire had stopped listening. She was frozen, her mind stuck in disbelief. Robin? They… they knew where he was?

Suddenly, her legs were moving… she was running, her heart racing, almost singing, abandoning the remaining messages. Tears were in her eyes, Robin's name following her as she sprinted away from the voicemail messages.

Robin… they were going to find him...

She had to wake the others.

* * *

"Beast Boy! Beast Boy! Wake up!"

Beast Boy rolled over and tugged his covers up to his ears, the line between dreams and reality merging dizzyingly.

"C'mon Mom…" he muttered into his pillow. "Get those sneakers outta my face, I'm trying to make Belgian waffles here…"

"Wake up, Beast Boy! We have news about Robin!"

Someone was shaking him desperately, and the word "Robin" brought him fully to awareness. He snapped up and immediately collided heads with Starfire.

"Robin?!" he asked, not even dazed as Starfire bowled backwards with a small yelp.

"Yes, Robin," she echoed, shaking the stars from her head and grabbing Beast Boy by the wrist. "Yes, yes, come!" Before Beast Boy could even lift his blankets off of himself, Starfire was dragging him at top speed out of his room and down to the command center.

The other Titans were already there, facing the gigantic monitor portraying the faces of the Teen Titans' East Team. As Starfire and Beast Boy of them entered the room, they all looked over at them, and an expression of horror plastered their faces simultaneously as their eyes fell on the green teenager.

"Wha—?" Beast Boy looked down and a rush of warmth came to his cheeks as the room erupted with laughter. He was in nothing but polka-dotted heart boxers. He cried out and dove behind Starfire, who was giggling inanely. "Hey!" he shouted at them in embarrassment, face growing dark in a blush. "It was hot in my room last night! Besides—" he suddenly leapt back out again and struck a very heroic pose, flashing everyone a sparkling grin. "With a body like this, who needs clothes?"

Suddenly, something flew against his face, draping over him and obscuring his vision. His hero's stance wilted into a wobbly fall as he cried out, suddenly tangled in a mass of dark blue.

"For all our sakes," came Raven's voice.

Beast Boy grumbled as he finally freed himself from her cloak. With a glare from her, he decided to go ahead and put it on. He was tempted to use this opportunity to mock her (sticking his finger up his nose and claim it was an impression), but the mood of the room had suddenly shifted to dark solemnity.

"So, to fill you guys in," said Speedy, face enormous in the giant monitor before them. "Early this morning we had an encounter with some HIVE members, and they left us with this."

Beside him, Aqualad held up the tattered yet familiar yellow symbol of Robin's uniform. Beast Boy's eyes widened. It was the real deal.

"Our only conclusion is that either Robin is here in Steel City, or at the very least, the HIVE gang knows where to find him," added Bumblebee, crossing her arms. "Unfortunately, we've been spending months trying to find the HIVE's secret hideout with no luck. Although if you guys were to come over here, I'm sure we'll have no trouble locating Robin."

"So that settles it," spoke up Starfire, looking at the others with wide expectation. She bounced a little where she stood, glancing at each of them in turn. "We are to go to Steel City and find our lost friend. We should leave now!"

"Yeah! Let's get over there save Robin!" chirruped Beast Boy, leaping up onto the back of the couch with Raven's cloak billowing behind him, standing in a pose reminiscent of Superman. Raven threw a hand before her eyes and muttered for the green changeling to cover himself up.

"Wait, guys," cut in Cyborg, running a hand over his bald scalp. "We can't just pack up and leave right now."

"What, why not?"

"In case you've forgotten," spoke up Raven, hand still held blocking Beast Boy from her field of vision. "Slade tried to destroy half of downtown last night. If we were to abandon the city now, who knows what will happen."

"Maybe then just half of you guys should come," suggested Speedy.

"Half?" asked Beast Boy, abandoning his heroic stance and dropping to the couch cushions with a bounce. "But, who will go and who will stay?"

A moment of pensive silence enveloped them.

"I haven't been able to locate Robin from here…" Raven finally spoke up in her usual croaking drone. "If Robin is there, I'll probably be able to pick up on him a lot better than from here."

"That is a good point," said Starfire softly. She was staring at her feet, rubbing a hand along her arm absentmindedly in thought. Finally, barely audible, she murmured sadly, "Unless someone desires otherwise, I suppose I… volunteer… to stay here…"

"And I should go!" Beast Boy announced. He threw an arm into the air as though begging to get called on in class. "There's no one here with as good of a clue-sniffing nose as me! I _have_ to go!" He proved his point by morphing into a dog, Raven's cloak billowing down on top of him like a parachute.

"Actually, maybe you should stay here with Starfire," said Cyborg. "And Raven and I will go."

"What?!" Beast Boy gasped, peering out from under the cloak, suddenly normal again. He looked at the big, cybernetic Titan behind him. "You can't be serious!"

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea," Aqualad agreed from the giant display. "Cyborg has the technology, and Raven has her telepathy. With the two of you, we'll be sure to find Robin in no time."

"Come on. You can't leave me out like this. I can help too," Beast Boy begged.

"You will be helping," Cyborg told him with an edge of irritation in his voice, "By staying here and taking care of the city. I mean, unless you think you can't handle Slade yourself…"

Beast Boy stared up at him, an angry flush coming to his cheeks. Cyborg was trying to appeal to his pride in order to convince him to stay.

"Listen," he snapped. "Ordinarily a statement like that would work, but I really feel I should go."

"Beast Boy," said Raven sternly. "You need to stay here. _We_ need you to stay here."

"I need you to stay here," said Starfire meekly. Beast Boy looked over at her, and felt his heart fall just looking at her. She looked so sad, so lost. He sighed at her, then looked at the others. It was very clear from their faces that Beast Boy wasn't going to win this argument. He walked over to Starfire and sat beside her.

"Okay," he grumbled, trying without success to mask his defeated tone as that of understanding. "You guys go. Star and I will stay here and make sure Slade doesn't get out of line."

"Alright," piped up Speedy. "Raven. Cyborg. Head over here as quickly as you can. In the meantime, we have Mas and Menos on patrol now looking for any sign of them or Robin. They can cover the greater part of the city in half an hour. If any of those HIVE members steps foot on a city street, we'll find them…"

"And we'll be on the lookout too, okay, Sparky? If anything new comes up, we'll let you know."

"Alright. See you guys in a few hours."

"See ya."

On the screen, Bumblebee leaned forward and reached out, and then the connection went black.

"We leave in ten minutes time," said Cyborg to Raven. "Get whatever you need."

"Alright," said Raven, walking past the couch towards the door. She paused a moment, then reached over the backside of the sofa and yanked her cloak from Beast Boy's shoulders, to his slight protest. The young sorceress fastened the cloak around her neck. "Got everything. Let's go."

Cyborg looked over at the two remaining Titans, both of them sitting silently. He walked over behind them and rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "Thanks, you guys, for staying. I know Robin is important to the two of you, but we also have our duty to this city. He wouldn't have us abandon it to the likes of Slade."

"Yes, I know this," said Starfire, forcing a smile. "Just find Robin for us, okay?"

"We will," he smiled back at her before releasing his grip and stepped away from them.

"Five bucks Slade doesn't show…" Beast Boy murmured, scratching his armpit as the big door slid closed, leaving the two of them sitting alone in silence. He glanced over at the orange alien beside him. Her face was laced with worry and exhaustion. A yawn came up through his throat and he realized he was exhausted, too. He took a glance at the clock on the far wall. His mouth fell open and he dropped back onto the couch.

"Wake me up when Slade shows up," he muttered before turning into a dog and curling up next to Starfire. Starfire chuckled a little and petted him, her face suddenly a little brighter by his presence. Beast Boy felt his spirits lift a little as well. Perhaps he was still good for something…

* * *

Not my best chapter, I know guys. Just gotta get things going. R&R, and I hope to get back into the swing of things soon... argh, braindeadness sucks.


	17. Feel Better Soon, Honey

**Chapter 17: Feel Better Soon, Honey.**

Disclaimer, Rating, and so forth

**AUTHORS NOTE!!**

Hokay, so, I have a crazy story to tell you guys (especially my fans)

Merely a day after I wrote Chapter 17, I was hanging out with my boyfriend. We decided to spend time in his room for once, so we stopped by my room and I grabbed my laptop and my flash drive so I could work on my fanfic while he was doing photo work.

And somewhere between grabbing my computer from my room and going his room, my flash drive, _which HAD ALL MY FANFIC STUFF ON IT_, fell out of my pocket.

I was devastated. I thought of how long I've been working on this project (off and on), and kept picturing a screenshot of my files and imagining someone highlighting and deleting them, including some wonderful Robin angst I've written up in advanced for later. I spent all that night crying, hating myself, and putting up posters around my dorm hall and the surrounding campus, offering 50 bucks to whomever may have found it. (Yes, I was willing to give up FIFTY SMACKERS for you guys)

Well, the next morning, my RA knocks on my door and hands over my flash drive. Of all the people who could have found it (I had indeed dropped it outside), it was her.

So, I immediately backed it up to my computer :P

The End.

So, the lost-and-found flash drive has renewed my love for this story! :D A blessing in disguise!

I hope you all enjoy! R&RnStuff

* * *

Every time he awoke, he awoke screaming.

It was beyond his control… he hurt so bad…

He drifted in and out of restless slumber, unsure which reality was real, and which was dream…

Hanging out with his friends, playing Soul Crusher 2 (and beating Beast Boy, much to the green Titan's dismay). Starfire smiling at him, everything right with the world..

…but that wasn't real…

Jostled around, skin searing with fire, strapped to a table, his mouth duct taped to silence his screaming….

…it couldn't be real… not him…

His mother rubbing aloe vera lotion on his skin, as he winced and whined in pain, her beautiful eyes shooting his father a look, as though saying "Why didn't you put enough sun screen on him?"

It hurt…

All of it hurt…

What was real…?

A gentle voice humming, humming a sweet lullaby. He recognized it. It was the very one his mother had always sang to him when he was very little.

Hush little baby…

A silly song if you thought about it… mockingbirds and diamond rings… but it calmed him down… always had…

Or was he just hearing things…?

His eyes fluttered open. He was lying on a comfy bed, naked body warm beneath soft, velvety sheets, head resting on a cushy pillow, staring up at a plain gray ceiling. He didn't feel any pain. His skin felt tight, and he could barely move – something told him he should be in pain, but he wasn't. His head rolled a little, dazed and fuzzy. He felt disconnected. Disconnected from his body, from the world.

Was this real? Or, another dream…?

His eyes fell on someone next to him, a beautiful woman in a stale white nurse's uniform. She was the one humming. Her voice was sweet, like a bird. She held his arm, slowly and carefully rubbing lotion on it. A moment passed when he thought he was safe, rescued, in a hospital where all the damage could be reversed.

But then he saw the thick white clown make-up of Harley Quinn peaking out from beneath curls of blonde hair.

"Why are you doing this?" he muttered dully after a moment, very confused by it all. A comfy bed, being tended to… it didn't feel right…

Harley's blue eyes met his, and she flashed him a wide-toothed grin.

"Well, well, Jay! Glad to see yer back amongst the livin!" she chirruped, reaching over to a bottle on the bedside table and squirting some more lotion into her hand. Robin blinked at her. What did she call him? He decided to ignore it.

"Why…?" he began to ask again. His voice was very hoarse, and it was difficult for him to concentrate on making it work. His tongue hit his swollen cheek, licked the tangy, infected wound the Joker had given him. It made his stomach curl.

"-Am I doing this?" she finished for him. She rubbed her hands together and began to pet his skin. He sighed and closed his eyes. It felt wonderful. "Well, I may be the Joker's girlfriend but I'm not _completely _heartless! Mista Jay has been awfully hard on you. Pouring acid on you – that was so _terrible!_"

"I gave you a bloody nose," Robin croaked dimly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Eh, you was actin on instinct. I know how that works. Hostage gets kidnapped, hostage gets scared, hostage attacks its host." She smiled warmly and poured more ointment on him. "I'll forgive ya just this once. Do it again, though, and it'll break my little heart!"

"I'm sure about that..." Robin muttered, turning his head away. He blinked at the blank wall beyond his bed, wiggling his fingers but barely being able to tell as he did. "Did you drug me again?"

"Just some morphine," Harley said offhandedly in her thick seaboard accent. "You were screaming so much, and in so much pain, I figured it would be better for you. Really, Jay, I'm trying to look out for you here."

Robin furrowed his eyebrows, eyes darting towards her. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"It's cuz you look just like a little Mista Jay," Harley said, shaking her hips a little and scrunching her face up like she was talking to a little child. Robin closed his eyes, a wave of nausea washing over him that had nothing to do with drugs or pain. A little Joker… the face grimacing at him from the mirror… the acid… the laughter… insanity…

"But really," Harley went on. "I want the best for you. Do you have _any_ idea how angry the big man will be if he found out that I'm helping you heal, and given you a bed, and feedin you pizza—?"

"Pizza?" Robin whispered before he could stop himself. His stomach lurched, as though demanding to be fed. How long had it been since he'd actually eaten anything?

"Yup! The dough is risin and soon I'll be able to really get cookin'! My mother was Italian so I know how to make the _best_ tomater sauce in the universe. I mean, I don't mean to brag, but oh, it's to _die _for. But we gotta put this medicine all over ya first, mkay?"

Robin swallowed and nodded absentmindedly. Suddenly, all his mind could think about was food.

"I gotta turn you over, Jay, and get your back."

"Stop calling me that," he mumbled.

"Aw, come on, Bird Brain. Can't I have an endearing nickname for ya?" She patted his shoulder, and a small stinging of pain ignited from her touch on his damaged skin. "You've really grown on me. You're, like, a little brother or son to me."

"If you cared so much about me, you'd let me go," he muttered.

Harley didn't speak for a moment. She slid her hands under his back and pulled up, forcing him over on his side. His sweaty and blistering skin stuck to the bed sheets, and despite the drugs lacing his system, peeling them off sent shots of agony through his nerves, and he gave a small cry.

"You can't leave us in this condition," she mewed. "And besides, Mista Jay would REALLY let me have it if I let you go. I mean, gawd, I may care about you, but I both care for and am scared of him. I think you already know," she added with a small chuckle, "he's not the type you want as yer enemy."

Robin nodded again, absentmindedly. His eyes focused on his own arm, now resting before him on the bed. It was covered in a sticky green mess, the lotion. It smelled of aloe. But through it he could see his skin, bleached, colorless, all traces of hair burnt off. His fingernails had turned a horrid black, a deep contrast to his pallid flesh. He thought numbly of that clichéd phrase, to "know a place like the back of your hand," and realized that he didn't remember what his hand looked like before now, except perhaps the color of emerald green gloves.

He clenched his eyes down tight, clenched his jaw, twisted up his face as though to block everything away. He didn't want to look at it anymore, didn't want this to be real. He listened to his own deep breaths, felt this woman's nimble hands stroking ointment down his back. He tried to imagine himself somewhere else, anywhere else…

She was humming again…

… her voice sounded… almost beautiful…

….hush little baby….

His shoulders and face slowly relaxed, and the next thing he knew, he had drifted into a deep, restful sleep…

* * *

"It's CHOWTIME!"

Beast Boy tossed a pizza down on the table, and the rest of them hovered over it like it was made of gold, taking a whiff of it together.

"Yo, man! What the heck? No meat?! You didn't even order one HALF of it with meat?!"

"Hey, next time, don't be so lazy and order the pizza yourself!"

Robin smiled at himself as he looked at them all. He looked down at the delicious pizza before him, and somehow knew it was a dream. He didn't care. All he wanted was to enjoy this… while he could…

"Pineapple and Garlic! The greatest topping pairing of the pizza I have ever experienced in all the universe!!"

"Pineapple and garlic, Star?? Are you crazy?? It's all about the sausage, the pepperoni, the beef, the ham, the bacon, the Canadian bacon!"

"Aren't those last two basically the same?"

"Are you crazy, Raven??"

"Canadian bacon actually resembles ham more than bacon," Robin piped up with a smile.

"But the two still are COMPLETELY different!"

"Dude, I don't EAT any of that stuff though! Like I said, if YOU want certain toppings, then--"

"Excuse me, but, um, I thought I had requested an absence of mushrooms… my face… is now swelling."

Robin turned quickly to Starfire, heart racing with concern. Allergic reactions were not something to be ignored. She turned her head to look at him, and he cried out in terror.

Her face was blank. All their faces were blank. Voices dulled to a whisper, features grew wavy and elusive. His very memory of them was fading….

Was he forgetting them…?

He snapped out of the dream with a spasm of horror and pain. He bolted upright – immediately, his damaged body exploded with fire upon the exertion, and found himself thrown back onto the mattress as though something had slammed into him. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he pressed his hands to his face, trying desperately to remember their faces, to remember them.

After a moment, he realized he did remember. He saw Starfire's beautiful, sparkling green eyes, Raven's pale skin and sullen expressions, Beast Boy's smile and laughter, Cyborg's friendly face and glowing mechanical eye. He saw them. He did remember. His breathing returned to normal and his muscles began to relax. He remembered…

It was only a dream… just a dream…

Yet…. the smell of pizza remained.

"CHOWTIME!"

Robin pulled his hands away and saw a beautiful, delicious round pizza hovering before him, Harley beaming at him from the other side of it, out of her nurse's costume and back to normal. "Ya hungry??"

Robin couldn't answer. All he could do was stare down at the food held before him.

"Let's sit you up, Jay, dear, and get some food in ya!"

"There… really is pizza…?" he asked incredulously as she placed the pan on a bed table, reaching down and pressing a button to recline the bed upward.

"What, did you think I would lie to you?"

"Yes," he replied instantly as the bed sat him completely upright, his eyes still fixed on the pizza. He suddenly felt as though this had to be part of some horrible plot – maybe showing him the pizza and then denying it… at this point, that felt like incredible hell.

But Harley wheeled the pizza in front of him, setting down containers of parmesan cheese and peppers, and some napkins.

"Fair enough," she said. "But the pizza really is here. Bon Appetite!"

"_Bon Appetit" _he corrected, staring the pizza down. Oh, it had everything on it - the works, the supreme of supremes - pepperoni and bacon and sausage and ham and pineapple and olives and mushrooms and chicken and onions and peppers and three different types of cheeses, covered in minced garlic and Italian spices and parsley.

_It's too good to be true…_

"Shut up," he muttered under his breath to the little voice in the back of his mind. He tore a slice of pizza away from the pie and without hesitation shoved a bite into his mouth.

It had to be the best pizza he'd ever tasted.

"Pretty good, eh?" Harley asked with a wide grin, pulling up a chair. She sat on it backwards, straddling her legs around either side of the chair's back and resting her elbows on them dreamily. "I may be messed up in the noggin, but I love to cook!" She reached over and pulled a slice off the pan and took a bite as well, extinguishing any small doubts that lingered in Robin's mind.

Robin took another mouthful and chewed it slowly, and took a good look around him.

He was sitting in a gigantic room, and before him laid what could very well be the scenery for a 1940's play. To one side of him stood a false wall, painted pink, with a china cabinet, a framed "Mama's Kitchen" needlepoint, and curtains covering a fake window. Behind it, attached to the real, concrete walls of the room was a large blue drape, and Robin shuddered as he recalled seeing the other side of that curtain the first day he'd been there. On the opposite side of the room from the false wall stood a number of appliances: a washer and drier, a fridge, an oven, sink and stove, and between it all, a dining room table with a stripped blue cloth. And straight ahead of him, Robin saw a set of metal stairs led up to a metal catwalk that lined the entire room, where a big armchair, lamp and television sat. The hair on the back of Robin's neck prickled, as though half-expecting the Joker to be sitting in that chair, watching him. But there was no one there.

"Where is the Joker now?" he asked.

"What's it to ya?" asked Harley, grabbing the peppers and covering the top of her slice with it.

"Don't want to get caught, do we?" he asked simply, taking another bite of his own piece.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Jay," she managed to say through a mouthful of food. "Daddy's just off runnin some errands and probably won't be back til tomorrow." She swallowed hard and cocked her head to one side. "If he asks, I tortured ya good, mkay?"

Robin still felt skeptical, but went back to his pizza. He took small bites, aware that the days spent in starvation had weakened him, and his stomach, and though he would love to eat the entire pizza at one go, his stomach would quickly cramp up and he would be beyond miserable for a long while.

Harley had finished her slice and now watched him silently, contemplatively. He looked over at her.

"What?" he asked, a little wary.

"Want some water?" she asked suddenly.

"Uh… sure?" He felt slightly taken aback as she jumped up. She cartwheeled over to the fridge, opened it and pulled out a bottle of water. She hummed a little as she walked back to him, her usual spring in her step, and unscrewed the cap on the bottle and placed it on the table before him.

"Atta boy, Jay," she said with a giggle, ruffling his hair before walking away to the dining table, leaning over it and rearranging some flowers in a vase. Robin watched her intently, a strange feeling growing in his heart.

Something didn't seem quite right about all this…

* * *

Another Author's Note:

I didn't do research on this, so if Harley's mom isn't actually Italian, sorry, but it seemed fitting :P

And just so you know, when it comes to Starfire's claim that pineapple and garlic are the best pizza topping combination ever, she is absolutely right. I would know. I work in a pizza parlor.

Anyways, more fun to come! Please, Review and Rock ON!


	18. Heading East

**Chapter 18: Heading East**

Discla-Rating Not mine, M

Author's Note:

So, watching some Teen Titans episodes as reference for this chapter, and I've decided on my favorite Robin Badass Moment.

It totally has to be in Titans East Pt 2, when Speedy's shooting at them and Robin fricken CATCHES one of Speedy's arrows, just as reflex. And I'm just like "HOT DAMN THAT'S BADASS!!" :P

:D You guys should share your favorite Robin Badass Moments in your reviews. Makes things interesting, doncha think? :) And I love hearing what you guys have to say, lol!

That being said, you should review anyways! I heart reviews. I less than three them, even. They're a ray of sunshine in my otherwise very depressing life.

* * *

"Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?"

"Miranda, would you just be quiet?? You're messing me up!"

The little girl stuck her tongue out at her brother, who sat beside her, furrowing his eyebrows down at the Game Boy in his hands, deep in concentration. He was seven years older than her, and didn't particularly like her. That was okay, she didn't like him so much either. He was always so mean. She sighed and leaned forward, peeking between the airplane seats in front of her.

"How much further is it Mom?" she asked.

"Still a few hours," said her mother, who was busy looking at a Sky Mall magazine.

It was their annual trip to Gotham City, which was practically a million miles away from home, so they took the plane. Miranda didn't remember much of the last trip, she had been so little. But now she was 6, a big girl. But she was still bored. She looked around at everyone. They all looked equally as bored as she felt. Whoever invented airplanes didn't do a very good job of it – most seats weren't even close enough to a window for her to see. She tried to see over her brother's bent form, but all she could see was blue sky, and she saw that every day. She sighed and pulled up her backpack, reaching in it for something, anything, to play with. She found two Barbie dolls and pulled them out. One had long red hair, and wore a purple skirt and shirt, the other had black hair that had been cut unevenly short, with a bandana tied around its neck. She looked around in her bag for something else.

"Mama?" she asked after a moment of searching. "Mom, where's my Robin doll??"

"You're what?"

"My Robin doll!"

"I have no idea. Maybe you left it at home?"

"No, I din't! It was here!"

She looked around her frantically, lifting up her pillow and backpack, scanning the floor.

Then she looked at her brother, who had a sly smile on his face.

"Sean, you took it, din't you?" she asked.

"Nope," he lied. "Haven't seen it."

"YES YOU HAVE!" she squealed at the top of her lungs. "GIVIT BACK!"

"Sean Arthur!" her father spat in a hushed breath, trying to peer around his seat at the boy behind him. "Give her the damn toy or so help me I will take away your Game Boy."

"Fine," said Sean in a flat voice, reaching into his seat back pocket and then throwing the Robin figure at Miranda's face. She gave a cry as Robin slammed into her forehead, then pulled up her feet and began kicking at him underneath the arm rest.

"You're mean!" she shouted at her brother. "Mean!"

"Yeah, well, you were an accident."

"Inside voices, both of you!" their mother whispered angrily. "You're going to anger everyone else.

Miranda growled at him angrily and pulled down her tray table. She hated her family. Her parents didn't listen to her, didn't believe her about anything, and always yelled at her, and then her brother hated her. So often, she wished she could just run away. She looked down at her doll. It was a real Robin action figure, her favorite toy. She smiled, and ran a hand over his plastic head, as though smoothing down his hair, thinking back to that night, when she saw him outside her window. She wished she had a real Raven and Starfire doll, but they didn't make them yet. She had to make due with her Barbie substitutes.

She prepared to play out a dramatic scene of action, adventure, and romance (as commercials liked to say) on the tray table, when something caught her attention, outside the window. She looked up over her brother and saw something far in the distance, a little higher than they were flying, like another plane. She'd seen another jet during the flight, but this one looked different. It wasn't even really shaped like an airplane. It was red, and bubbly-looking.

She knew it immediately.

"Oh my gosh, look guys, look, it's the Titan Jet!!" she squealed, pressing her face against the window.

"Ha ha, yeah right," said her brother. He hadn't once looked away from his video game the entire trip.

"I don't see anything," said her father, leaning into his window and squinting into the sun.

"Oh, sweetie, I think that's just another airplane," her mother said, as the speck of red in the distance entered a cloud.

"No it's not, it's the Titan jet!"

"What, do you think they're going on vacation, too?" asked Sean.

"No. They're going to save the world," she told him angrily. "Cuz they're heroes like that."

"That imagination of yours," chuckled her father. "Thinking you saw the Teen Titans the other night, and now their jet?"

"Too much TV," said her mother.

Miranda puffed her cheeks angrily. They never believed her. Never.

She hoped that a day would come when they would.

* * *

"Hey, Sparky. It's great to see ya, despite the circumstances."

"It has been awhile hasn't it?"

Raven stretched out kinks in her back as she stood on the wing of the Titan's red T-Jet. The members of the Titans East had come to the rooftop to greet them, the sun growing low towards the west.

"Here," said Aqualad, standing beside the wing and reaching a hand up to help her down. Raven looked at him a moment, knowing full well she didn't need assistance (she could fly after all), but decided to accept his kind gesture and let him help her down.

"Long trip?" asked Speedy, looking over to them as Cyborg hopped down as well.

"Longest of my life," replied the robotic Titan. "Any updates?"

"None," said Aqualad solemnly, leading them to the rooftop door. "Mas and Menos have run themselves nearly to exhaustion searching for any hint of the HIVE. They just returned fifteen or twenty minutes ago."

"So which HIVE members are we talking about here," asked Cyborg. "The usual mindless bimbos?"

"Jynx, Gizmo and Mammoth," Raven clarified, "Or them and those other two, the HIVE Five?"

"It's something bigger than just them," said Bumblebee as they walked down the stairwell together, their footstep echoes vibrating around them. "Their activity has gotten too sophisticated to be organized by the likes of them. It feels almost like it has progressed into something like what it was back during the Brother Blood cult days." She shot Cyborg a meaningful look, and he nodded with understanding. The two of them had experienced what it was like back then, undercover, among the ranks of Blood's HIVE team.

"And Gizmo specifically mentioned a "new headmaster" when we butted heads with him earlier today," added Speedy, rubbing his arm absentmindedly.

"But you guys don't know where they might be hiding?" Raven inquired in a soft voice.

"No," Bee said darkly. "They've been active for months now, and we haven't even managed to take any of them in, let alone find they're hideout."

"And we've tried the whole tracking device thing, but they've wised up to it since the whole Cyborg-deception thing."

"We can only hope that they'll slip up soon…."

"The evidence," Raven said suddenly, causing them all to halt in their descent down the stairs. "That piece of Robin's uniform. May I see it.?"

"We've already put it through all the tests," said Speedy with a raised eyebrow. "No fingerprints, no DNA – the only test that we found to be conclusive was that it was recently put through a washing machine."

"I don't want to see it for that sort of test," Raven said sharply, then turned her head away, staring down into the dark stairwell pensively. "One of the most disconcerting parts about this whole thing is that I haven't been able to really sense Robin… except for in the beginning..." It was her turn to give Cyborg a meaningful look, and he stared back at her carefully. "If I can get a feel of something from even that small bit of his uniform… well, it'd give me a little hope…"

"Alright, this way, then," said Bumblebee as they reached the next landing, gesturing into a hallway. They all headed down it, around a corner and into a room.

It was a lab eerily like Robin's… just without the newspaper clippings all over the wall. Raven didn't feel too surprised at the resemblance, since the Titans East tower was modeled after theirs'. On a table in the center of the room was an array of testing equipment, and the tattered R from Robin's outfit.

No one moved a moment as they stood at the entrance. Raven held her breath as she stepped forward, leaving the others behind and approaching the table.

"It really is his, isn't it?" asked Cyborg breathlessly, looking stunned.

"Yes," said Bee. "Its fiber count and fiber content matches exactly with the material Robin uses for his uniform."

Raven stared at it a long moment, then stretched a hand out towards it, hovering a moment over the piece of fabric. Thread content and count aside, she had no doubt it was his, just from looking at it. She picked it up carefully, draping it over the palm of one hand, and then resting the palm over the other over it. Releasing her breath, she closed her eyes, and hummed a soft mantra. Her disciplined brain instantly dropped down into a meditative state.

And a flash, like lightning, shot through her mind, her heart. She gave a small groaned and clenched her jaw, fire flaring through her body at the speed of light. Quick images flickered to life in her subconscious, racing, screaming through her mind, gone as quickly as they'd come. In a second and a half, she got everything she could from it, every hint of pain and anguish Robin had experienced while wearing his uniform.

She looked up at the others, who looked back at her silently.

"So, you know how I said I would feel more hopeful if I got anything from this?" she asked softly, looking down at it. "Well, I lied…"

The others didn't speak a moment, all of them lost in their own thoughts. Raven stared down at the small piece of Robin's uniform still in her hand, still feeling a strong tingle of unease about everything.

"We need to talk to someone who knows more about the HIVE…" Cyborg spoke up slowly, thoughtfully. "And… I think I know just the guy…"

A cell deep in the earth, deep below the high security prison of Steel County. Its walls were many yards thick, layered with concrete, steel, and highly magnetic materials, built to contain one of the most powerful enemies the Titans had ever faced.

* * *

And Cyborg was there to get answers from him.

"Well, well. If it isn't my old friend, Cyborg," said the deep, rumbling voice of Brother Blood as Cyborg stepped into the large cell. The villain was attached to a huge machine, his mostly-human head shrouded in a thick helmet, resting atop a armless, robotic torso, his human legs shackled to the ground - the remnants of the man who tried to overpower the cybernetic Titan by becoming a cyborg himself. A smile broke the villain's wizened, yet young features, his single, mechanical eye glowing in the dim light of the chamber. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"The HIVE…" Cyborg growled, the light of his own red eye glinting off the villain's scarlet armor. He stepped further into the cell, clenching his fists as he glared up at the former headmaster of the HIVE academy. "Tell me what you know."

"You know everything I know about them and then some. After all, I've been locked up in here for nearly a year. No news - no interaction with anyone human, remember?" Blood's lip curled in an ironic sneer. "Really, I wasn't even aware that they were still together… You just made my day…"

"No," Cyborg said softly. "You must know something… who their new leader is, where their headquarters are."

"The last I knew, the HIVE headquarters was Titans East Tower."

Cyborg narrowed his eyes up at him at the memory.

"And what reason do I have to tell you anything?" Blood added coolly.

Without a word, Cyborg held up his arm and cocked open his laser, and pointed it straight at the villain.

"I'll blow you to bits…" he murmured darkly.

"Ooooh, I'm so frightened," Blood mewed sarcastically, eyes flashing knowingly. "Go ahead, Cyborg. Shoot me down. I am, as you can see, unarmed…" he motioned his head toward his missing limbs.

Cyborg felt a headache growing in the human side of his head. He gritted his teeth, still glaring at Brother Blood, still pointing his blaster at him. Part of him felt foolish… of course, Blood's been in prison for a long while… how could he know anything? The helmet, the cell, the isolation, everything, was an attempt to block his mental abilities from manipulating anyone or reaching the outside. Cyborg was probably the only person he had seen in months – Blood's mental abilities didn't work on him.

Yet, despite all this, something in his gut told him that this villain new something.

But he couldn't shoot him…

Cyborg swallowed hard, hatred still coursing through him as he lowered his arm.

"That's what I thought…" said Blood with a chuckle.

Cyborg stepped forward carefully, so he was within inches of the prisoner.

"Talk," he said darkly.

"How can I talk when I have nothing to tell you?"

Cyborg reached out and gripped the front panel of the villain's armor in one hand. With a swift sweep of his arm, he ripped a hole clear in the front of Blood's chest, exposing all the electrics and wires there.

"Talk!" he shouted again, hand hovering mere millimeters from the gaping hole, threatening to reach in and pull everything apart.

"You wont kill me," said Blood casually, absolutely unalarmed. "This is so unlike you, Cyborg. Something terrible must have happened for you to act like this… missing something, perhaps?"

Cyborg's eyes widened a little at Blood's tone.

"Ah, I see I've struck a nerve of some kind." Blood's mismatched eyes flicked down to Cyborg's hand before his chest, the boy's fingers twitching. He still seemed very confident in his safety. "But I'm afraid I have absolutely no idea what is going on outside these thick walls you've trapped me in. I actually really am surprised to hear that the HIVE still exists without my guidance… they must have a new headmaster… very intriguing"

"Was there anyone lined up to fill in your place?" Cyborg asked dangerously.

"Honestly, do you think I would trust anyone to live up to my expectations as a leader? No. There was no one."

Cyborg looked him straight in the eye, his sensors flaring, checking for any sign of a lie. All that was there was Brother Blood's menacing smile. Cyborg felt frustration rise in him. He couldn't believe this. Had he come all this way for nothing?

He reached into Blood's chest.

"What are you doing?!" the villain cried out in alarm.

"This," Cyborg said, pinching a wire in the other's chest and tweaking it slightly.

"I don't—under—ack—what--??" Brother Blood's voice began to warp, suddenly growing very high. His eyes widened a moment, and he swallowed. "I… I… oh, you little fiend!" the villain spat, his voice suddenly as girlish as Starfire's. "I suppose that's as far as you're willing to go, isn't it? You're weak."

"That's not how far… but this is…" The Titan suddenly brought his arm around, elbowing the villain in the face. Blood cried out, a stream of maroon suddenly dripping from his nose.

"You twit!" Blood squealed in his new feminine voice.

"I'll be coming back every day until you talk," Cyborg said darkly, leaning in so he was nearly nose to bloody nose with Brother Blood. "Trust me, I know lots of little tricks like that," he motioned towards Blood's mouth with a grin, and then turned to leave.

"I look forward to it," Blood's high voice muttered menacingly before the door slammed closed on him.

"And so do I…" Cyborg replied to himself, heading for the lift back to the surface. He knew he'd find out something…. Eventually…

He just hoped he found out in time…

* * *

A/N again, because I always do this. Shouldn't suprise you anymore.

Just some notes on this chapter.

1) I freaking loved Miranda when I first mentioned her waaaaay back in chapter 2 or 3 or whenever. :D I thought she deserved another cameo.

2) YAY BROTHER BLOOD! I have to admit, I love Blood. Not as much as Slade or the Joker, but he's fun to write, and fun to abuse, lawl. Don't worry. We'll see alot more of him.

3) This is probably one of my absolute most favorite not-Robin chapters to date. Just saying.

Also, I have a confession to make.

I haven't seen much of season 5. So, if I have some inconsistencies with canon as a result, I deeply apologize.

Anywho, can haz reviews, plz? :)

Anywho, R&R, and I'll be updating soon! :)


	19. Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 19:** Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home...

**Discla-rating** – Not mine, and not your little brother's Teen Titans.

**Author's Note:** I'm kinda warning you guys in advanced… this chapter (and really, a lot of the Robin chapters to follow) is a little bit gruesome… Get out now while you can. (I think this warning will instead encourage many of you die-hard fans to stay on even more XD I know you all so well)

* * *

_...there's a problem with her plan…_

Robin blinked dimly into the darkness of his cell, a river of cold dread flowing just beneath his damaged skin keeping him ill at ease as he sat with his back to the concrete wall. His mind would not stop tormenting him, anxiety overwhelming. He sighed and crossed his arms in angry thought.

It was Harley… it was this whole situation, her tending to him, her feeding him. Harley had said the Joker wasn't going to find out what she had done, but there were obvious indications of what had happened. There were the bandages that she had dressed his wounds with, the ointment covering his skin in a thick, smelly layer. His fingernails scraped at the bandage around his stomach, wanting nothing more than to rip it off, to hide it, to take them all off and hide the evidence, but really, where could he in the empty cell? And it wasn't just the first aid itself that concerned him, but the result of it – he was healing, growing stronger. What would the Joker do when he came back to discover Robin was recovering?

And there was another problem, he noted dumbly, as his stomach churned, bowels moving. There was no bathroom in his cell, and food had to pass through eventually. He curled his legs into himself, trying to ignore nature's call, but it was no use… In the end, he had to choose a corner and relieve himself, filling the room with an awful stink that made his insides curl.

Time passed so slowly. Robin dropped his head back against the wall and stared upwards, towards the ceiling, towards the lone red dot shining above him: the recording light of the security camera above him. He sighed and absentmindedly ran his tongue along the bumpy, stinging, odd-tasting portion of his gum where the Joker had cut him, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. His body was shivering a little… his shoulder was hurting… and so was his skin… the morphine was wearing off…

He lowered his head towards his chest and pressed his face into his hands, tangling his fingers into his hair, clenching them into fists and tugged, threatening to pull all of it out of his scalp. He screwed his face up in a mixed grimace of pain and frustration. His head pounded dully behind his clenched hands, his mind a jumbled mess of thoughts. It kept jumping from one thing to the next, sometimes before a thought could even finish… he thought about the Joker and what was to come next, thought about how badly he wanted another dose of morphine to silence his pain, thought about the awful smell of the room, wondered what was keeping his friends, wondered why he had to endure all of this… so much, all at once, overwhelmed his tired brain. He bared his teeth in anger, tugging even harder on his grimy strands of hair, as though it would turn his mind off like a lamp.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" he spat, slamming his head backwards against the wall to silence his overactive brain.

Worst idea ever.

His head erupted in familiar agony, and he growled and curled over sideways onto the floor of the chamber, wrapping his arms tightly around his pounding skull. He blinked back tears and flashes of light, silently cursing himself for his own stupidity.

_You need to calm down,_ he told himself. _You're going to end up injuring yourself worse at this rate… you'd be doing the Joker's job for him…_

He took a deep shuddering breath, relaxing a little bit. Worrying was useless right now, no matter what the Joker ended up doing when he got back… there was nothing Robin could do about it… he could worry about it, or simply accept it… prepare for it…

He took long, deep breaths, focusing solely on the act of breathing, like he had that one night… slowly, his anxiety began to ebb a bit, his thoughts growing slower, less annoying… even the pain wasn't so noticeable… After awhile, he sat himself upright again, eyes still closed, pulling his legs across one another, Indian-style, and gave a little humming sigh, like an ohm.

In the end… everything would be alright….

Time slipped away as he sat like that… he didn't even notice how much of it ended up passing… for a long moment, he was no longer in this dark cell… no longer at the mercy of one of his old nemeses… no longer in danger, no longer in pain… he was someplace peaceful… a blank nowhere where nothing could harm him, where everything was right with the world.

He ended up so lost in his meditation that he barely noticed the door opening.

"Jaaaaay," said a voice from very far away. "Did you have a fun time with Harley?"

"My name is Robin," he answered simply, eyes still closed, body relaxed.

Footsteps walked right up to him, and despite his trance-like state, a small, expectant wince flickered through him, as though expecting the Joker to kick him where he sat.

"What… what are you… and what are those… and WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!"

Robin furrowed his eyebrows a little, eyelids still shut, trying to keep his breath steady.

Here it goes….

"HARLEY!!"

"Um, yes, Pumpkin?"

Robin opened his eyes, more out of curiosity than alarm. The Joker's shoes were centimeters from his crossed legs, the criminal's white face turned towards the door, where Harley stood, looking sweet and innocent.

"Why is there a big pile of feces in the corner here?" the Joker asked with a feigned sweetness.

"Um… I dunno." She gave a ditzy little smile and wrapped her finger around one of the floppy points of her jester's hat, making its bell dingle.

"You fed him something. I only told you to take care of his injuries."

Robin looked over at her. So, it wasn't her who made the decision to take care of him… she had been acting on orders. He dropped his head a little, wondering why he felt disappointment.

"Yeah, well, you don't want him dyin' of his injuries, why would you want him dyin' of starvation? A growin boy's gotta eat!"

The Joker growled and Robin watched him intently as the clown stomped over to his girlfriend, lifting his arm to backhand her. Robin held his breath. Harley recoiled a little away from the Joker, lower lip trembling. But the Joker hesitated a long moment, and then lowered his hand.

"No," he finally said, slowly, dangerously. "No, it's fine. You're right, Harley. A growing boy does need to eat. That's thinking like a good mommy." Harley beamed proudly as he turned to look at the naked teen still sitting cross-legged on the chamber floor, his piercing red eyes flashing menacingly down at him. A slight shudder raced through Robin's spine at the look. The Joker returned to Harley. "I want you to go get something for me," he said softly, and his voice dropped so that Robin couldn't catch what he was saying. Harley paused a moment, glancing at Robin, then nodded with a showy, almost forced smile and pranced off.

The Joker turned back to Robin.

"You are looking better my boy. I was a little worried about you."

Robin didn't say a word, just watching the Joker, keeping any hint of emotion away from his face. The Joker squatted down next to the Titan, taking a glance over his purple-clad shoulder and then back to the boy, smacking his lips together, as though in pensive thought.

"You made a mess of my cell," he said simply. "We try hard to keep it clean. Now, I know it's not exactly your fault… except that you could have said no. So in that case, it was your fault, and you'll be punished accordingly."

"Electrocution? Laughing gas? A beating?" Robin asked in a monotonous voice, as though it didn't matter. "Same ol', same ol'?"

"Oh, no," the Joker replied with a bark of laughter. "You should know better than that, Jay, my boy – I have a lot more cards up my sleeves."

Harley came waltzing in, cradling a pair of pliers in her hands. Robin watched her vigilantly as she passed the tool over to the Joker, who took it up in his hands and gazed at it, almost lovingly.

"No, none of that old stuff," he said coolly, inspecting the pliers with greedy eyes and a ever-widening smile. "We'll just make sure this won't happen again…"

An icy feeling fell over the Boy Wonder as his eyes met the Joker's over the teeth of the pliers. He seemed to be able to read the Joker's mind, and as the realization of what was to happen hit him, his brain began a warning siren, his heart rate jumping quickly to speed. His gaze flickered towards the open door, where Harley stood, and suddenly, before he realized what he was doing, he was making a scramble for it.

But the Joker was soon on top of him, throwing him over and pinning him down. The clown screamed for Harley's help as Robin thrashed against him, and a second pair of hands grabbed the Boy Wonder's arms and pinned them above his head. The Joker repositioned himself so he was straddling Robin's legs, trapping them to the floor, and then bent over the Titan and moved the pliers to position in front of his face. Robin yelped through closed lips, throwing his head from side to side as the Joker struggled to shove the pliers into his mouth.

"Stop fidgeting and cooperate!" the clown growled. He swung the tool around, smacking Robin hard across the face, causing him to instinctively cry out. And then, the hard metal clamps were in his mouth, clanging against his teeth with melodic tinking sounds as the Joker struggled to put it where it needed to be. Robin continued to struggle against them, trying to pull his mouth away from the pliers.

"Harley, his head, if you please."

Suddenly, with a sort of flexibility only a gymnast could have, Harley managed to twist herself around while still holding Robin's arms down, seating herself on the ground and placing a foot Robin's forehead, pressing down and locking it in place. Robin's breathing was quick, hyperventilating as the Joker secured the thick pliers onto one of his top, backmost molars. His mind was racing in panic, his arms trembling beneath Harley's grasp.

This was going to hurt like hell.

His gums screamed in agony as the Joker squeezed down on the handles of the pliers, threatening to crush the tooth into two. He pushed and pulled, in many directions, causing torrents of pain to shoot through the nerves surrounding his teeth, through his jaw, into his temple and head. Robin could hear the steel grip of the pliers scraping against the tooth as it held fast to his jawbone, could taste the familiar tang of blood in his mouth as the teeth of the pliers began chewing into his gums in attempt to break the bond between tooth and skeleton. After many excruciating moments, after many cries of insurmountable pain, the tooth began to shift in its bed, and the next thing Robin knew, the tooth was free, and fresh blood was pooling in his mouth.

The Joker ripped the pliers from the teen's lips and inspected it with mild curiosity. He then stretched his arms out to one side and jerked the pliers open, causing the tooth to clank lightly on the floor beside Robin's head.

"One down… and quite a few more to go…."

Robin's eyes stared wildly at the madman on top of him, tears streaming down, shaking his head as he gurgled on his own blood. This wasn't happening.

But again, the Joker was shoving the pliers in his mouth… Robin's brain was going numb… another tooth, his topmost molar on the other side, jerked, squeezed, pried, ripped painfully out. And then the last molar on the bottom jaw… the Joker was pulling each of the furthest molars, one by one, and then when he ran out of those, he began on the next line, his twelve-year-old molars….

It was around molar number 5 or 6 that his vision began to go white, and the next thing he knew, he was lying in a heap alone on the cell floor, cotton shoved into his cheeks to soak up the blood, his head swimming with shock and nausea… he rolled slowly over, and his fingers brushed over something, and the light tinkling sound of his own teeth rang through the room as they scattered across the floor.

_That bastard…_ he thought as he struggled to get to his hands and knees, the room feeling like it was spinning around him. The red light above him watched him intently. _That... fucking bastard…_

No sooner had he sat back with his bottom on his heels, holding his head and coming fully back to himself from the grips of unconsciousness, that a high-pitched hissing joined him in the room… Robin's breath caught in his chest, disbelief rolling through him… the gas… that horrible gas… pouring in again…

_Of course… _he thought bitterly… Tears streamed silently down his cheeks in frustration and anguish. He was laughing… weak, wheezing, tearful laughter through the bundles of cotton in his cheeks… laughing long before its gaseous cloud could even reach his lungs… laughing because of the irony, the hopelessness, the insanity of it all… laughing, because he couldn't take much more of this….

….Somewhere else, in a place that could have been far away, or very, very near, a violet-haired girl hovered cross-legged above the rooftop of a T-shaped tower, a strange, uncontrollable laughter rolling through her own chest before she snapped back to reality with a gasp of awful disbelief.

"Robin…"

* * *

**A/N**

Nyah nyah! ((singsong voice)) I'm ending the chapter right there, so you have to sit in agony not knowing what'll happen neeexxxttt! :) I love cliffhangers.

READ AND REVIEW!!! And happy NaNoWriMo! (google it. :P)


	20. Group Meeting

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 20:** Group Meeting

Rate-claimer – Adultish and Yeah Right.

**Author's Note:**

I know, two in one day… put simply, I have an essay to write today XD

And to put longly, I've had these typed for awhile. Just got a chance to really proofread it – well, proofread it and like it. And I know you guys are experiencing withdrawals, so I thought I'd give you a hardcore fix! :P

And... I have an essay to write XD

Anywho! Read, review, and all that jazz.

* * *

"Wait… you know where he is??"

Raven looked up. The other Titans were sitting around a circular conference table, all their faces turned in her direction, eyes fixed on her in frozen anticipation. There was even a giant screen behind them that had Beast Boy and Starfire anxiously watching her as well.

She didn't want to have to tell them….

"No… I don't know where he is."

"But, you just said—."

"I said I 'found' him, but what I meant was, I established a connection. I don't know where exactly he is."

Cyborg slinked back in his chair, and the two Titans on the monitor glanced at one another.

"But how can that be?" Aqualad asked curiously, leaning forward. "If you managed to establish a telepathic connection with him, then that means you should know how to get to him physically, right?"

"Ordinarily, yes," Raven muttered, rubbing her thumb along her hairline in frustrated thought. "I… I don't know what's happening… It's so weird… it's almost like…" She paused a moment and looked around, trying to wrap her mind around a proper metaphor. "It's like… you're someplace new… someplace you've never been before. A dark forest, an empty warehouse, something like that. A maze of darkness. You go around corners trying to find something you know is hidden there. You find it, but you don't know exactly how you got there, after all the dead ends and twists and turns. Even when you find your way back home, you can't really be sure what turns you took where in order to get back to that place… that's the best I can explain it."

"Oy…" muttered one of the twins, rubbing his head.

"But why would this be happening to you now, of all times?" Cyborg asked, running his hands up and down his face, sounding equally as frustrated as Raven felt. The female Titan frowned over at him, sensing his disappointment and anguish over another false lead towards Robin, and hated that this had to happen to him, to all of them, again.

"I don't know," she said finally. "It's almost like something is interfering with my powers, keeping me from finding a clear route to him..."

"Something, like, maybe a villain with mental abilities as well?" asked Bumblebee.

"It could be."

"Blood fits that description."

"But Blood is in jail," Cyborg spat angrily. "There's no way his powers can penetrate those walls. I made sure of that."

"Wait a minute," Speedy said, sitting up straight very quickly with a look of intense concentration. "Raven, explain exactly what happened when you found Robin. What you felt. It could be a hint towards who might be doing this to him."

Raven's face darkened, and she looked down at the table as she recalled, "He was in pain… intense pain…"

"Where was he in pain?"

She thought about it a moment, eyes falling closed. Almost without decision, she rested her hands on her cheeks gently. "Here. It was as though all his teeth had been knocked out…"

"A mad dentist maybe?" piped up Beast Boy's voice. Someone hushed him.

"Anywhere else?"

Raven's hands began to travel slowly as her mind, her subconscious, remembered… she laid her fingers silently on the top of her head, on her left shoulder, on her ribcage, the places where injury had happened… and then winced as she recalled one final feeling: "…and his skin… it felt like his whole body had been dipped into fire."

"Was that it?" asked Aqualad. "Just the pain?"

Raven shook her head, opening her eyes, her forehead wrinkling as she thought about it all. "He… he was laughing… like… like he was completely losing his mind…"

Starfire gave a small little gasp, and Cyborg's eyes were wide with horror. No one spoke for a long moment.

"Laughter…." Speedy was staring intently into space, and then suddenly spun his chair around towards the computer. "Here, one sec, guys," he said to Beast Boy and Starfire before clicking their window aside on the gigantic monitor. "I need to check something."

He was typing like mad, searching through a database of one kind or another. Cyborg spun around in his chair beside the red-clad Titan, watching him with curiosity. None of the other Titans spoke as Speedy finished his search, and slammed his hand down on a button.

And then, on the screen, was a horrible face – white, malicious, a wild, sneering grin stretched from ear to ear. Raven's blood ran cold as she stared into his horrible eyes, which seemed to glow red even in the black-and-white mugshot picture.

"Who is that?" asked Aqualad curiously.

"The Joker," Speedy said. "One of Batman's enemies from Gotham." He turned his masked head towards them, with a wry little grin. "Told you it was probably someone from Robin's sidekick days."

"Can it," Bumblebee growled, a little annoyed, strutting over to his side and leaning over him to grab the mouse, scrolling down to read through the profile. Her eyes widened a little with what she read. "Wow… this guy…"

"Is a goddamned psychopath," Cyborg finished for her, as he read it all, too. "Wow… kidnapping the mayor's son… and… Smilex gas?"

"It's some kind of toxin," Speedy said. "It has different forms. Sometimes it simply makes a person laugh uncontrollably for long periods of time – painful, but recoverable. Other times…"

"It can kill you," Aqualad finished, as he read over that portion of the file.

"How do you know about him?" asked Bumblebee.

"When you're a sidekick, you tend to learn about other sidekicks and the villains they fought." Speedy replied with a shrug.

"God, why didn't I think of it?" Beast Boy's voice filtered in through the computer speakers. "I used to follow Batman and Robin like a fanboy."

"You were a fanboy," Cyborg replied with a chuckle.

"Shut your face."

"So…" piped up Bumblebee, leaning back and crossing her arms, her wings fluttering a little, "You guys think this is the guy that has Robin?"

"It fits," said Raven softly as Bumblebee looked over at her.

"The thing is, what about the HIVE? Do you believe that this Joker is the new mastermind behind the HIVE's return?"

A long silence passed as they all looked at one another, and back up at the Joker's profile.

"Well, there is really no way to verify that he is not, in fact, the new headmaster of the HIVE Academy," spoke up Starfire's voice from the computer. "And there is evidence in favor of the idea that he could be."

"Really, don't you think the laughing gas is sort of a dead giveaway?" asked Beast Boy.

"I just don't know," said Bumblebee softly, chewing on her lip in contemplation.

"Well, whether or not the Joker is the new headmaster or not, he has something to do with this, just as much as HIVE has something to do with it," said Cyborg definitively. He looked over at Raven. "It looks as though we are getting closer, though, even just a little bit. The fact that you were able to establish a good connection with Robin when you couldn't back home is proof enough of that. Maybe if you keep at it, we can get a location."

She nodded. "I'll go right back to him after this."

"Sparky," said Bumblebee carefully, looking at the cybernetic teen. "We should contact Batman."

A stony silence enveloped them. "No," Cyborg answered.

"But he knows the Joker better than any—"

"And everything he knows he put on this record," he said, getting to his feet gesturing to the screen. The Joker's wild, beaming smile bore down at all of them. "We can figure it out ourselves without him."

And without saying another word, Cyborg stepped off towards the door of the room.

"¿Cuál es su problema?" asked the other one of the twins with a raised eyebrow.

"I know one thing," said Speedy, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table. "If one of my old archenemies ever got a hold of me, I probably wouldn't necessarily want you guys getting the Green Arrow involved. He'd worry like a bitch and probably would want to yank my bow away when I returned. Not that I'd let him."

"That's kind of what Cyborg is worried about," said Raven. "Apparently, Robin and Batman didn't separate on the best of terms. He doesn't want to give Batman a reason to pull the plug on Robin's independence."

"Yeah," Beast Boy's voice chirped from the video phone. "All those grandpas in the Justice League would love to be able to say 'Told you so' when it comes to a bunch of teenagers fighting crime. It'd be the end of the Titans."

"Speedy. If you were in as much pain as Robin, would you really give a damn if we turned to the Green Arrow to help find you faster?" asked Bumblebee with venom in her voice, looking positively livid as she loomed over the red archer. She then turned and looked at the rest of them, including over at the camera so Beast Boy and Starfire could see her piercing, angry stare. "You all need to drop your stupid effing pride and realize that one of our dearest friends is in danger. If it means the end of the Titans, I'm fine with that, and you guys should be too."

Speedy gaped at his leader as she stormed out of the room.

"She's right," said Aqualad quietly, sounding a little guilty.

"I still hold by what I said," Speedy declared stubbornly, leaning back further in his chair. The Mexican twins glanced at him, then at each other, and then were gone. Raven blinked, and Speedy was suddenly flat on his back on the floor, the twins (and a still-observing Beast Boy) laughing up a storm.

"¿Te acuerdas cuando dijimos que había obtener venganza?" asked Mas. ((subtitle: Do you remember when we said we'd get revenge?))

"¿Cuando menos lo esperamos?" added Menos. ((subtitle: When you least expected it?))

"You little punks," Speedy spat. "That was three weeks ago! This isn't exactly the time to bring up an old game, is it? Jesus…."

"You can understand them?" Raven asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh yeah. You get used to it after awhile," Speedy said, scrambling to his feet and uprighting his chair, glaring at the twins. "Stubborn little dorks can speak English just fine. They just don't want to."

"I still don't quite have a handle on it, but I'm learning," said Aqualad. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Um.. uh… no debes actuar de… um… es…mano?"

Everyone blinked over at him.

"You should not act the hands?" asked Speedy with one eyebrow up.

"I'm still learning, darnit!" growled Aqualad, getting to his own feet.

The twins were gone again, and suddenly were standing, one on the other's shoulders, next to Aqualad, the top brother patting the Atlantean on the back. "There, there," the young hero said with a heavy accent. "Que ha intentado." ((You tried)). Aqualad made a playful swing at them, but again, they were gone with a streak of motion.

"Little rugrats…" he muttered under his breath as the duo raced around the room, pausing every few moments to shoot them all a silly face. Speedy snorted. Raven felt a little annoyed at their lightheartedness, and after a moment, threw out a forcefeild of dark energy, which the twins slammed into like a wall and fell hurtling backwards.

"This really isn't the time for games," she said darkly, turning on her heel with a swish of her cloak, following Bumblebee's and Cyborg's lead from the room.

She needed to try and find Robin again….

* * *

**Author's Note 2.0  
**

Holy crap, 20 chapters.

I've typed 20 chapters to a story. To THIS story!

HELLS YES!!! :D I'm awesome.

_**Thank you guys SO MUCH for all your support and reviews**_ – especially those of you who write reviews like "OMG! I'm, like, CRYING now, you jerk! Write another chapter NOW or I will effing CUT you!" :P The crazy ones that go on and on like that are my favorite, tee hee, and they're what keeps me goin in the long run. :D So keep up with those reviews -- REVIEW NOW!!!


	21. Getting Closer?

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 21:** Getting Closer?

**Author's Note**

This chapter is dedicated to AutumnNights, because she gave me wonderful, evil, torturous ideas for the first part of this chapter! :D Enjoy guys!

* * *

He had kept his promise…. Every day, he stopped by that prison cell, far beneath the surface of the Earth, to question the former HIVE headmaster. Still, he had no answers. But now, he had new questions to ask.

The door slid open, and the hyperactive cheerfulness of "It's a Small World" greeted him, blaring throughout the small prison cell. Cyborg grinned, a little maniacally, as he looked in. Brother Blood raised his head as the robotic hero entered, sharpie marker doodles covering what little skin that made up his face, a big pink tutu fastened around his waist, and the most awful glare ever piercing from his eyes.

"Turn… that… blasted… music… OFF!" the villain squeaked over the music, his voice still high and girly. It sounded almost like one of the Chipmunks.

"I like it," said Cyborg simply, with a smile. "It's happy and cheerful. Maybe it'll help you see the light."

"All it's doing is making me despise you more and more."

"Well, it's not going away," said the Titan, stepping up to the prisoner and crossing his arms. "Unless you talk."

"I already told you, I don't have any answers."

"How about some new questions?" Cyborg asked. He leaned with a shoulder against the wall, staring at the villain with intensity. "What do you know about the Joker?"

"The Joker?" The villain wrinkled his forehead over at the Titan in a frown. "He's one of Batman's old buddies. Why don't you ask Robin about it?"

"I can't," said Cyborg darkly. "Did he have any connections with you and the HIVE Academy?"

"You can't?" repeated Brother Blood with fascination. He tilted his head up a little, eyes sparkling. "I see… he's missing, isn't he?"

"Answer the question…" Cyborg growled, lifting his arm and flipping open the computer encased there. "Or it's Teletubbies time."

"The Joker had no connections with us," the villain spoke up quickly. "From what I understand, he doesn't keep connections with anyone for very long. Except that girlfriend of his."

"How do you know that much about him?"

Brother Blood raised his eyebrows. "Everyone does. Or, everyone should." He threw Cyborg a scolding look.

"But he didn't have any connection with you and the HIVE Academy?"

"Never. Why? Are you saying he's the new headmaster?" A strange smile adorned the villain's face. "Well, I have to say, if anyone should take up my reigns, let it be him."

"Why do you say that?"

Blood's eyes flashed with a wicked sparkle. "He knows what he's doing," he said simply. "I feel bad for my students, though… the Joker probably won't let the lot of them live."

Cyborg's spine tingled with premonition. "Is he that nuts?"

"He's a lone wolf. Doesn't care about anything or anyone. Just wants to watch the world burn." A smile played the criminal's lips. "I kind of admire him for that."

Cyborg frowned down at the villain.

"You're not telling me everything…"

"Yes, I am." Blood spat. "I've answered your questions to the best of my ability. Now would you TURN THAT BLASTED MUSIC OFF?!"

Cyborg looked around, then back at the villain.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Then we'll see."

"ARGH!"

Cyborg stepped back through the sliding doors, that chill lingering in his spine. He sighed deeply and looked up towards the ceiling, a silent prayer flowing through him.

_Please, let Robin get through this alive…_

_

* * *

  
_

It was dark… she slinked through the hallways, trying not to make a sound, hoping the others were fast asleep. She hated having to sneak around, but she still felt as though the others didn't want her doing this. And since their main commlink computer was in the same huge room that the kitchen, the sofa, and video games shared, she had to wait until the middle of the night before the Tower system told her the room was empty.

All the same, as the big doors of the common room slid open with the hiss of hydraulics, she peeked her head cautiously in to make sure there really was no one there. Her heart thudded in her chest as she cleared the doorway, it crashing shut behind her. She spun and pressed a finger to her lips at it, a little jumpy. After a long moment, she tiptoed into the room, watching the computer with a strong sense of purpose.

"Sorry, Sparky," Bumblebee whispered as she sat down in the chair nearest to the big computer, pulling on a set of headphones and pressing a button on the keyboard. "Just don't hate me for this…"

The screen flickered and buzzed to life, burning her retinas after her trek through the dark corridors of the tower. She allowed her eyes to adjust before getting to work on the keyboard, typing in special codes and addresses from memory. Finished, she looked up at the screen, her heart still thumping hard in her eardrums as a huge image of the Earth spun before her, with a telephone before it dancing and ringing, as the satellite connection established, working through to its destination. She absentmindedly fumbled with her golden wrist cuff as she listened to its digital ringing, trying to will away the butterflies in her stomach.

And then, the ringing stopped, and there was a beep.

"You have reached the Justice League," said a very authoritative voice. Bumblebee hung her head heavily, pressing a hand to it. It was their voicemail. It was the last thing she wanted. She chewed on her lip as the rest of the greeting played, debating whether to leave a message, or to hang up and try again soon. The recording was ending, instructing her to leave a message. A loud beep sounded and Bumblebee straightened herself quickly, the camera playing. It was too late to not do it.

"Justice League – this is Bumblebee of the Teen Titans." She took a deep breath, drawing herself upright, trying to look authoritative and serious. "I am trying to get in touch with Batman. Robin has gone missing. He's been missing for over a week now. The others don't want me contacting you guys but I believe we need your help to find him. Please, contact me as soon as possible. Thanks."

A shaking hand clicked the keyboard, and she gave a shuddering breath. That was far more nerve-wracking than she had expected it to be. She had been a superhero for awhile now, but the idea of talking to heroes like those that made up the Justice League… it still managed to make her a little starstruck. She swallowed, her throat dry, knowing that she would get caught when the League contacted her back, but she didn't care. She had taken an important step towards finding Robin… there wasn't anything more she could do right now…

As she stood up and walked away from the computer, a strange shudder passed through her. She turned, furrowing her eyebrows at the computer, and then shook her head. She was tired. It was long past midnight… she needed to sleep, and worry about Robin, the Titans, and the Justice League in the morning….

* * *

"…Please, contact me as soon as possible. Thanks."

Gizmo smirked at the recording, and then looked at the other HIVE members standing behind him.

"Altogether with me now," he said, turning back and reaching for a big round button. "One, two, three—"

"DELETED!" they all chorused together.

"Beleted!" chirruped See-More with a laugh. Everyone glanced over at him with puzzled expressions, except for Gizmo, who scoffed with a dismissing hand wave. "It's an internet thing," he explained to the others.

* * *

Insanity…

It gripped the boy like a vice… His mind was in shambles, his body and soul disconnected as laughter ripped through his broken, tortured body.

To Raven, it felt as though it wasn't Robin at all… he was barely there…

The young teenaged girl sat secluded in a dark guest room of the Titan Tower East, having instructed the others not to interrupt her. It had taken a great amount of her dwindling strength, and far too much time, to make her way back through the dark, difficult maze that disrupted her powers, to find Robin again, and took nearly the rest of her energy just keeping her focus on him. Something, something unseen, kept trying to rip her away… and the insanity, the distance, all of it constantly threatened to break the connection… and if she wasn't careful, she could easily slip into insanity, the same as him….

She had to hold on tight… she had to help him… if she didn't… Well, she didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't…

A gas… that's what the file said… a laughing toxin…? Once she felt steady, felt like she wasn't going to lose him, she slowly probed into his poor, wrecked body with tendrils of thought, traveling into his chest with her powers, sensing his lungs, going as deep as his blood stream, feeling for something that shouldn't be there… a toxin… a poison…?

And then, she felt it, a strange chemical lacing Robin's bloodstream.

And she focused.

Another long span of time passed as she concentrated…. She lost track… it could easily have been an hour or two. She focused everything she had, all her powers, all her energy, even her very soul, into destroying the toxin, cell by microscopic cell…

Robin's laughter slowly fizzled away as the toxin within him was gradually broken down… instead of laughter, hard, gasping breaths tore through his tired chest, his body in shock from the attack…. But his mind was returning….

Raven felt the exhaustion of her own mind and body beginning to take hold as Robin grew stronger. She struggled to stay with him, to pull him to the surface of sanity, to buy him some more time so they could get to him…

…the connection was slipping…

…her mind was slipping….

The next thing she knew, she was lying on the ground of the Titans East Tower guest room, barely conscious, sweat coating her skin. She swallowed hard, the whole world feeling like it was spinning.

But Robin was okay….

"He's okay," she whispered out loud, as though to reassure herself that he was, before drifting off into a deep trance. She had to recharge her energy. So she could help Robin again… He would probably need it soon enough…

* * *

**A/N: **Just read and review :)


	22. My Name is Jay, And I'm the Joker's Son

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 22:** My Name Is Jay, And I'm The Joker's Son

For all you Robin fans, here's a super-long chapter for you! :) It's one of my favorites.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey, Jay, my boy!"

Something was tapping him lightly on the cheeks, sending quick flashes of pain through his swollen mouth. He cried out, wincing against it all, not wanting the pain to be back. He had just had the most wonderful dream… Raven was with him, helping him, taking the laughter away… a remarkable dream. And now, he was awake… he didn't want to be…

Something was shoved into his mouth. He moved his jaw a little, and the squishy cotton between his bare gums squirted out blood and spit into his throat, making him cough and gag. His head throbbed with unimaginable pain.

"I said wake up!"

Something smacked him hard across the face, and the darkness was suddenly sprinkled with twinkling stars as pain rocketed through him. He screamed through the mass of cotton, and, struggling to breathe, forced himself to peek through his heavy lidded eyes at the smiling face he knew would be there. It beamed brilliantly at him.

"It's about time you woke up, sonny boy! You're missing your lesson." The Joker jumped back, waving around a bloodied ruler and wearing the same graduates cap from the Alice in Wonderland lesson. Robin groaned and dropped his head; it was suddenly very heavy. He saw the ropes wrapped around his body, securing him to his chair, and, with a jolt, realized he wasn't staring at the bare skin of his legs. There were clothes… He was wearing clothes… He blinked down at them, his mind far too slow at processing his eyesight… a pair of shorts… they were purple… a purple sickeningly similar to the fabric of the Joker's suit. He slowly also became aware of the long-sleeved, button down yellow top…. a purple blazer completing the ensemble. His stomach twisted and curled in disgust.

They had dressed him in what could only have been a suit for a child of the Joker.

"No," he groaned through the cotton shoved in his mouth, shaking his head violently. This wasn't happening.

"I'm sorry? What was that?" The Joker's gloves pressed through his open lips, grabbing the cotton and yanking them out, one by one. Robin smacked his lips once his mouth was free, and realized immediately that quite a few teeth were missing.

"Now, what was it you said?" the Joker asked.

Robin swallowed hard, tasting stale blood.

"You're a fucking monster," Robin croaked, anger rising up in him.

"Ah ah, don't be that way, Jay," the Joker said sternly.

"My name is—AH!" A scream tore through Robin before he could finish, a rush of electricity searing up his body. When it stopped, he collapsed forward against his restraints, panting hard.

"So, guess what! We're going to play a little game, Jay-Jay," the Joker continued, as though nothing had happened. The Joker walked a small circle before Robin, twirling the ruler around his fingers and smiling brightly. "It's a fun little game. It's called Teacher Says. I say something, and then you repeat it back. I hope that's simple enough for your little brain to understand," he added, tapping Robin on the crown of his head with the ruler. Robin merely growled up at him angrily.

"Alrighty, let's begin, shall we?" the Joker giggled excitedly. He stood straight and tall. "Now, repeat after me. 'My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son.'"

Robin could only stare up at the Joker with his mouth hanging wide open. He shook his head slowly. No…. there was no freaking way he was going to make him…

Another shock tore through him, worse than before. He squealed with agony as it wracked his already weak body.

"Now, let's try again… 'My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son.'"

"NO!" Robin screamed at him through gasps of air. He knew what was happening, what the Joker was getting at. He would not give in. Not accept it. Another jolt, even more intense, quickly followed.

It continued like this for awhile… perhaps ten or so times the Joker instructed, and Robin refused, and was thereafter shocked with increasing volts. By the time the last surge of energy rocked through him, Robin was on the verge of blacking out again, the familiar burning smell singeing the insides of his nose.

But he wasn't going to give in… he wasn't going to let the Joker brainwash him…

"Hrm, maybe the directions are a little hard for your little brain…" the Joker muttered, rubbing his chin. He turned away from Robin and stepped to the table feet behind him, rummaging around through the contents which topped it. After a moment, he found what he was searching for and turned around. And held up a thick, red-stained pair of pliers.

The panic that rushed through Robin's veins nearly made him scream.

"Now…" the Joker said darkly. "'My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son…'"

Robin stared numbly at the tool, his mind inadvertently counting his remaining teeth in his swollen mouth. He shook his head, eyes wide in terror. He didn't want to endure that again.

"One last chance…" the Joker sang, twiddling the pliers between his fingers. "'My name is Jay… and I'm the Joker's son…."

Robin was shaking. He dropped his head again, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"My name…" he began, his voice dead and defeated, "is… is Robin… and I already have a father…"

"WRONG!"

The chair teetered and nearly fell as the Joker swept forward and yanked the boy's head back, shoving the pliers into his mouth. Robin screamed despite himself, as the Joker clenched it onto one of his bottom teeth and, after a painful lot of pushing, pulls and tugs, and screams from the Boy Wonder, tore it clear out of Robin's swollen mouth.

"Now, let's try that AGAIN!" the Joker scolded, throwing Robin's chair over, causing the boy's head to hit the ground violently. He stood over the teen, eyes blazing in anger. "'My name is Jay, and I am the Joker's son."

Tears streamed down Robin's cheeks, his focus going in and out from the shock and pain of losing yet another tooth like this. He screwed up his face in a grimace, already feeling the pain of what would come next

"Robin…" he replied decisively, and braced himself as the Joker came at him again.

It was going to be a long day…

* * *

Ragged breathing… excruciating pain…

…aren't we done with this yet…? …how many more times would he wake up like this?

He rolled over slowly onto his side, struggling to breathe, feeling as though he had inhaled a gallon of water. He coughed, and the taste of blood was overwhelming.

His entire body shook as he tried to lift his head. He couldn't. It landed on the ground with a thump that reverberated infinitely through his empty mind, sending vibrations careening through his sore gums like an inferno. He closed his eyes, and then opened them again. There was no difference between the two… the darkness of his mind and the darkness of his cell…

Breathing shallow breaths, feeling the familiar burning rush of pain filling his head.

Why was he still here…? …where were they…?

Another cough raked through him as he rolled completely over onto his front, pressing his face towards the floor, feeling its cold surface against his cheek and nose. He wanted it to swallow him up. He wanted to fall right through it. He wanted an escape… any escape…

A weak laugh rolled through him at the very thought….

He could escape… hell, at the very least, he could've made it easier on himself… he could've just repeated what the Joker had said… all that Jay stuff… that was all he had to do…

My name is Jay and I am the Joker's son…

He rubbed a hand along his face as the words repeated themselves inside his head, a dull chant. So easy, and yet, he hadn't done it…. And wouldn't do it….

As unraveled as his mind was, as battered and wrecked as his body was, he was still as stubborn as ever….

Soft sobs racked his fragile form. He hated himself… hated all the little things that made him who he was – his stubbornness, his pride, his stupid sense of right and wrong… his fucking determination to keep on going… keep on living… His willpower was stronger than his body was, and in theory, this was a good thing… but in reality, it was killing him… at this rate, he would die… When he was strong, the idea had never seemed so terrifying. But now…

He growled a sob and slammed a hand down on the floor, aware of the thick fabric of the Joker costume that adorned his body. It was all too much… he wanted to give in… wanted to make it easier on himself, to buy himself - to buy his friends - more time. But he knew, the moment his willpower shattered, the moment he gave up this one part of himself… everything else would rapidly collapse as well…

…_Don't give up, Robin…_

He wrapped his arms around his head, half sobbing, half laughing… now he was hearing things… He was losing it…

_No… no Robin… it's me…_

A strange sensation passed over him, and he opened his eyes without thinking, expecting to see someone standing there before him… to see her there before him… but all he saw was the pitch black world of his cell.

"Raven…?" he managed to whisper, still staring before him. She wasn't there… but at the same time… she was…

_It's going to be okay… we're looking for you, Robin… we have done nothing but look for you… Where are you…? Who's doing this to you?_

"I don't…" he muttered softly to the darkness. "I… I don't know where…"

_Then who?_

He swallowed hard, as that horrible face filled his mind… the sneering yellow smile… the piercing, dead stare… the malicious, high, cold laugh of hell… He licked his lips and tried to say his name…. but he couldn't….

But Raven knew… she could see the same awful face in his mind's eye… could hear his laughter…

And could also feel the teen's fear… his pain… his dying hope…

_It's going to be okay, Robin… _

Her presence grew stronger… warmer… his whole body went numb, the pain dulling, the world not seeming so dark anymore… or so evil…

It was the telepathic equivalent of a hug.

_We're going to find you, very soon… just don't lose hope, Robin… don't give up…._

"Raven," he murmured with a shuddering breath. Part of him felt that this was too good to be true…. Was it really her? … or was he going insane... hallucinating…?

Either way, he didn't care… just as long as that feeling could last… forever…

No sooner had he thought it, footsteps trembled outside his cell, and the door scraped open.

"Hi, Jay! Ready for another go?"

Robin closed his eyes tightly as two sets of hands began tugging him to his feet.

_Robin!_

"Go," he muttered softly to her as he hung limply from his captors' tight grasps, being pulled painfully across the floor. "Go… I don't want you to see this…"

"Hrm? Don't want me to see what?" asked the Joker menacingly in his ear. Robin recoiled away from him, face clenched in determination and pain.

_Robin! What's going on…? Where are they--?_

Suddenly, Robin's was jerked around, slammed against the wall, the Joker pinning him there with a single hand to his neck. Robin's eyes widened at him a moment, startled and confused. Then, his body erupted alive with fiery electricity, generated from the demonic joy buzzer wrapped around Joker's finger. Robin screamed as his skin erupted, and he felt a cry from Raven as well. And then, her presence vanished, the connection broken. When the pain stopped he lurched forward to his hands and knees beside the villain, his new clothes smoking slightly, the smell of them in his nostrils. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He wanted Raven back.

"Get those voices outta that head of yours, Jay my boy, and let's learn!" The Joker dragged Robin roughly through the rest of the corridor and tossed him to the floor of the big, main room, not even bothering tying the feeble boy to the chair again. Robin groaned and struggled to push himself up, but he was far too weak. The Joker paced around him for a long while, just watching.

Robin growled at the floor, as he felt the Joker's gaze fixed on him. He slammed a fist down on it in frustration and rising anxiety. He was tired of all this. He was tired of the pain, of the Joker, of his own weakness. He just wanted this all to end.

One of the Joker's polished saddle shoes shoved Robin hard in the ribs, causing him to give a little groan as he rolled over to his back. The Joker knelt beside him, and swept a strand of hair from the boy's pale forehead, like a father looking down at his sleeping son.

"Now, now, Jay… all you have to do is repeat one little sentence… is it really worth all this pain?"

"I dunno, is it?" Robin croaked weakly, more to himself than to him as he tried again in vain to pick himself off the floor. The Joker straightened upright, and his foot collided with Robin's stomach again, hard. He rolled across the floor, crying out in pain. When his body came to rest, back on his stomach, he grappled at the floor, panting with rage.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" he screamed as loud as his lungs would allow.

"Because you need to learn some discipline. Every child needs a bit of discipline."

"I'm not a child," he growled.

"You're no adult either," the Joker whooped.

"Mind yer daddy, Jay," Harley scolded mockingly. Robin scowled at her, his body shaking violently with a strong mixture of fury, pain and dread. The Joker grabbed him by his collar and pulled him swiftly off the ground, hanging him from the air, their matching white faces only inches apart.

"Make this easy on yourself, Robin," the Joker muttered in a very low, dangerous voice. "How much longer do you think your body will last?"

Robin was still heaving labored breaths, eyes frozen on the Joker's soulless stare. He gulped and hung his head. "Long enough for my friends to find me."

"They're not going to," the Joker said, swinging himself around and sending Robin tumbling across the floor and into the far wall. Robin collapsed on his side against it, watching the Joker's feet as he strolled over. The Joker reached into his purple jacket and pulled out a familiar sight – the bloodied set of pliers. Robin's skin ran cold.

"Now…" the Joker said simply, eyeing the tool with interest. "My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son."

Robin swallowed hard and looked up from the pliers that had already brought him so much pain, staring deep into the Joker's smiling face, the feeling of hope Raven had instilled in him still humming inside him. They _would_ find him… Raven had found him mentally, knew where he was… it would only be a matter of time. His mind reeled, trying to decide which course to take… pain… or submit …

….they were coming soon… he counted his teeth with his tongue… only eight remained, the front four on both top and bottom…

…which would he choose… which should he choose….?

He swallowed hard, looking up at the Joker, a thought popping into his mind.

"You want me to be a little mini-you, don't you?" asked Robin darkly.

"A chip off the old block, yes," said the Joker with a smile.

Robin took a quick breath, cooling his nerves. "You wouldn't want to take away my smile, would you? A Joker Junior without teeth is hardly a Joker, right?"

The Joker's smile twisted into a bemused pout. "You're right. You don't have very much teeth left, do you?"

Robin swallowed again, his mouth so dry and swollen, and shook his head.

"Your right. We can't have any of that. You're a smart lad, Jay."

The Joker tossed the pliers aside, and Robin breathed the deepest sigh of relief he ever could.

But his breath was quickly robbed as Joker's foot connected with his stomach again. Something snapped inside, sending a screaming torrent of stabbing pain through him.

"Say it!" the Joker spat, kneeling beside him. "My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son."

"No!" Robin sputtered, body shuddering. The Joker brought his fist crashing down on Robin's bad shoulder, and the boy gave a yell of agony.

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

"SHUT UP!" Robin screamed, not wanting to hear that stupid phrase again.

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!" chirruped Harley.

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son," the Joker repeated back to her.

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son."

Robin held his hands to his ears, his body shaking violently.

"Shut up, shut up!" he screamed, tears running down his cheeks as he grasped his hands to his ears.

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

Raven…

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

He tried to hold onto her face in his mind, but his mind couldn't quite grasp her.

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

Harley and the Joker were dancing around now, in time to the phrase…

"My name is Jay, and I'm the Joker's son!"

"Raven, help me!" he cried, Harley and the Joker leaning in, chanting the phrase over, and over, and over, and over again, engraving it into his mind….


	23. A Run In With The HIVE

**Teen Titans – Revenge of the Joker**

**Ch 23** – A Run-in With The HIVE

Oh man, things are gonna start moving now! :O Brace yourselves!

* * *

It had been three days.

The three most boring days of Beast Boy's life, even though he had managed to cram some productive video gaming into his schedule.

As he had guessed, Slade was a total no show, and not even any lame villains like Control Freak or Cinderblock had tried to cause any problems the past few days. Not one single call had come in since the others had left.

It was obnoxious.

"Argh! Star! Not again!"

"I'm sorry, friend, I'm sorry!"

Beast Boy slammed his head down on his video game drums, hearing the low, death jingle of a Game Over boom mockingly from the common room's surround sound speakers. He glanced over at Starfire, who frowned up at the tv screen with her remote control guitar slung over her shoulder upside down. She glanced down at the device with furrowed eyebrows. "I just cannot seem to coordinate the strumming on this apparatus with the pressing of these colored buttons. I suppose these games require more motor skills than my fingers are used to performing." She gave Beast Boy an apologetic smile. "Perhaps if I tried the instrument of banging?"

"The drums are harder than the guitar, Starfire. Trust me on that." He spun a drumstick around his fingers in a show-off display of his skills, as though to prove his point. He thought a moment, and then sighed, "But if you _want_ to give it a try, I suppose we won't die any faster or slower than we have been."

Starfire squealed in a girlish pitch, pulling the guitar strap over her head and quickly trading the green teenager for his drumsticks, barely waiting for him to stand before plopping herself down in front of the drumset. Beast Boy gracefully wrapped the strap around his own neck and chose an easy song (well, he raised the difficulty on his own guitar) and tapped his foot with the beat as the colored dots began to move across the screen.

And then he noticed that Starfire hadn't changed the drums difficulty setting from Beast Boy's run, a large stream of notes heading down her half of the screen.

"Wait, Star—"

And then she was playing, drumsticks hitting all the notes with perfect rhythm, her foot tapping on the foot pedal in time with the beat. Beast Boy gaped at her as her multiplier jumped quickly to maximum, giving her extra points. He even forgot to play his own notes as he watched her, flabbergasted.

"You're going to kill us, Beast Boy!" she giggled as she continued hitting beat after beat. Beast Boy snapped to himself and began strumming, angry at himself for getting distracted. He prayed to God he didn't receive "Most Gutsy" in result. To him, that was like saying "Yeah, you tried." He stuck his tongue out in concentration, watching his Star Power meter gradually fill… soon, he would be able to…

Suddenly, the game vanished from the large screen. Beast Boy gave a cry of alarm and frustration as the words "Incoming Call" flashed before him, joined with a digital beep. He growled and stood up, snatching the remote from beside the floor and clicking at the screen. Cyborg's face flickered to view.

"New information, guys," Cyborg said, not even bothering to say hello. "We figured out where the HIVE headquarters are. We need you here at Titans East Headquarters as soon as you can – the fight's going to be a big one."

Beast Boy gaped up at him. "What? You guys took the jet, how are we supposed—"

But the screen went black.

"—to…get…there…" Beast Boy gaped up at the screen, then ripped his guitar off from around his neck. "How do you like that? No hello, no "Hey, how's it going?" No information even on Robin, just demand, demand, like he's the new leader or something."

"Beast Boy. He's probably just worried about our friend." Her eyes sparkled as she set down her drumsticks and stood "But they know where Robin is! We must make with the haste and help them bring him home!"

"But how?"

"Well… fly, of course."

"My wings can only take me so far, Starfire," Beast Boy said flatly, extending his arms out sideways from his shoulders and flapping them to help bolster his argument.

"If you get tired, you can become a small creature and ride on my back. I have no troubles with that. Or we could, perhaps, hike a hitch onto an airplane?"

"Hitchhike," Beast Boy corrected. He hung his head in defeat. "Fine… let's head out then…" He thought of the distance between the two Titan Towers with a sickening feeling in his gut. It was going to be a loooong flight….

* * *

Cyborg tapped his fingers on the tabletop, chin cradled in his other palm as he frowned up at the big computer monitor, the sun setting outside. He was trying to get a hold of Beast Boy and Starfire, but they weren't answering his calls. Part of him wondered if Beast Boy was angry at him for leaving him behind… part of him also considered perhaps Slade had appeared, and they couldn't be bothered. Either way, he still felt ill at ease.

"We are here!" shouted a voice. Cyborg bowled forward in startlement, spinning around with his mouth agape.

It was Beast Boy and Starfire, floating at the open window. Beast Boy was a green goose, and looked very windswept and very exhausted. Starfire looked incredibly happy and energetic as she hung in the middle of the air with her powers.

Cyborg could only stare.

"Okay…" Beast Boy panted, dropping onto the floor as a human and stretched out his sore back. "I know there's, like, an important battle and whatever, but after that trip, I'm exhausted and just need a quick moment to…"

"What… are… you… doing here!?"

Beast Boy and Starfire blinked over at Cyborg's alarmed face, their turn to be confused.

"You… you told us to come," said Starfire.

"We got your message, something about a battle and that you needed us."

"Battle? What battle? I didn't try contacting you today until just a little bit ago."

Starfire and Beast Boy looked at each other.

"Um, you did," Beast Boy said. "You interrupted my guitar solo, and said—"

"No, I didn't." Cyborg looked between them, and glared into space before him. "This doesn't make any sense…."

"What are you guys doing here?"

The three of them turned. The entire Titans East team had appeared at the command center door, blinking dumbfounded down at all of them from the top of the stairs.

"Apparently, they got a message to come here. From me. I didn't send one though."

Speedy crossed his arms, forehead wrinkling in deep concentration. Aqualad and Bumblebee exchanged bewildered glances, and Mas and Menos scratched their heads simultaneously.

"Pero, si usted no le dijo a venir aquí, entonces ¿quién lo hizo?" they asked, one speaking the first part and the other finishing.

"I don't know who called them here…" muttered Cyborg darkly. He looked up at the screen. "Someone had to…"

"This doesn't make any sense…" Speedy said, dropping his arms.

Suddenly, the room exploded with a flashing red. They all looked at one another. Cyborg sat back down at the computer table and pressed a button, the situation appearing on the screen.

"It's them…" he muttered softly as Gizmo and Mammoth tore across the screen, stolen items in their hands. Cyborg glanced over at Beast Boy and Starfire, a terrible feeling in his stomach. They had mentioned a battle….

Was it just coincidence?

"Let's go!" Bumblebee said quickly, heading for the door. Her teammates followed her lead.

"Well..." Starfire and Beast Boy looked at one another, and looked back at Cyborg. "May we at least assist you, since we are here?"

Cyborg hesitated a moment, then looked up at the monitor. Several more HIVE members had joined Gizmo and Mammoth, in some busy public street. He sighed and closed his eyes a moment, hoping this wasn't what he thought it was.

"Yeah. Let's get going." He got to his feet and raced after Bumblebee.

"Is Raven going to be accompanying us?" asked Starfire as they bolted down the hallway.

"No," said Cyborg softly, his face growing cold as he sprinted faster to meet up with Bumblebee. "She's still healing after her last contact with Robin…"

* * *

Gizmo giggled gleefully as he tore through the street, his giant, spider-like mechanical legs clamoring on the pavement. He licked his lips down at the large number of purses he had stolen, clenched in his tiny greedy hands. See-More, Mammoth and Kyd Wykkid followed him, carrying purses, watches, jewelry and other items they had pillaged from the nearby Café le Ritz. People cried out as they barged through the crowded sidewalk.

"Gangway, coming through, I'll take that!" Gizmo shouted, a mechanical claw grabbing a purse from an old lady's shoulder as he made his getaway.

"Are you so sure about this?" shouted See-More. "There are WAY too many people here, man!"

"Shut your cram-hole, Cyclops!" Gizmo spat at him with his raspy voice. "This is just to—AH!"

Something swept under the mechanical legs, sending Gizmo crashing down on top of the purses painfully. See-More cried out as he was bowled over, too, a streak of white zooming past. A woman nearby screamed as the flash of white flew under her skirt, and then the twins Mas and Menos appeared standing on a newspaper vendor in a heroic pose, pointing at the young criminals.

"¡Deténgase, H.I.V.E. imbéciles!" they shouted simultaneously.

"Whaddid he say? Something about my mom?" mumbled Mammoth dimly, turning to look at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Imbecile!?" spat Gizmo as Kyd Wykkid helped him to his feet. He was about to shout some kind of taunt at the little Hispanic duo, but was cut short as flashes of green light slammed into the ground around them. People screamed, running from the altercation as Starfire and Beast Boy swept in, the latter carrying Cyborg, who busted out his laser cannon and began firing.

"You picked the wrong time to show your faces around here!" shouted a voice to the side, and they turned to see Bumblebee, Aqualad and Speedy standing there. The Atlantean glared at them as he threw is arms out, gripping the empty air, then lifting them as though pulling up something heavy. Water surged up from the drainage holes of the streets, surging around Aqualad. Speedy whipped out an arrow and nocked it into his bow and leapt onto Aqualad's shoulders. The water roared to life, slipping under the Atlantean's feet and sending the two boys forward towards the HIVE members, like a surfer on a wave, Bumblebee following them with her face set and her zappers buzzing.

"Cheese it!" shouted Gizmo as they advanced on them, Speedy firing warning shots at them as they turned to run. But Cyborg and Starfire had landed on the other side of them, blocking their escape.

"I would sincerely advise you not to move," growled Starfire, her eyes flaring green, holding up a fist surrounded with energy.

"Actually, blowholes, I advise YOU not to move," shouted Gizmo. His backpack gadgetry went to work, a telescoping limb swinging forward. Gizmo gripped it, a red button popping up. He laid his thumb on it and flashed them all a coy smile. "For you see, you lousy Titans, if I press this button, you're little Robbie-kins will start screaming like a girl from the pain."

Everyone froze, faces stunned. Gizmo spun to look at Aqualad and Speedy, who had halted, Speedy crying out and grabbing at Aqualad's face in attempt to keep from falling off his shoulders from the sudden loss of inertia. Bumblebee hovered beside them, wings flapping quickly to keep her aloft.

"You're bluffing…." Cyborg muttered dangerously, laser pointed right at Gizmo's head.

"I'm not," Gizmo sang with a smile, thumbing the button threateningly. "Put down your weapons!"

He looked around at all of them, beaming from ear to ear as one by one, they let down their guards. Cyborg morphed his arm back to normal, Starfire turned off her energy, Aqualad dropped all the water with a loud splash as Speedy climbed off his shoulders, dropping his bow. Bumblebee landed and put her buzzers away, glaring at the HIVE members with a venomous gaze.

No sooner had their guard fallen, a whole crowd of red-jumpsuited teenagers dropped from the rooftops onto the Titans.

"Didn't forget about Billy Numerous, did ya?!" they chanted in one loud voice, dragging them all to the ground. Gizmo laughed at the mayhem, giving Mammoth a high five.

But as Gizmo looked around, he realized someone was missing. Where was Beast—

A bug on the ground suddenly morphed into a huge green octopus, which slapped a tentacle around Gizmo's hand, pulling it away from the button as the other limbs wrapped around the rest of him. The other HIVE members were moving into action, trying to pull the octopus away, but the sea creature's grip was strong. But then Mammoth spun around and brought his fists down on the octopus's soft head, causing him to release his hold on the young HIVE student.

"Just for that," spat Gizmo, getting his grip back on the trigger, covered in octopus slime, "Your little friend will get it!"

"No, wait!" shouted Beast Boy, turning back to normal. But it was too late, Gizmo had pressed the button. Beast Boy shouted with rage and charged forward, but Mammoth had him by the back of his collar, causing him to run hilariously in place.

"Heh, look at the little—OOF!" Mammoth was sent flying by the huge spiked tail of a large green stegosaurus, which suddenly loomed many feet above Gizmo's head. The tiny villain gulped as huge reptilian eyes glared down at him.

"I can give him more!" shouted Gizmo, holding forward the buzzer with a sudden smile. The stegosaurus's eyes narrowed a little, and then, he disappeared.

"Where'd that little…" Gizmo took a few steps back, staring down at the asphalt beneath him. The changeling had slipped underneath him as a bug before…

A staticky voice came to life in his ear.

"Time to come back, boys," it said.

"Aye-aye, sir!" Gizmo said with a salute, though he knew the headmaster really couldn't see it. He turned to Kyd Wykkid, who had moved back to his side. "Take us out of here!"

"No!" shouted Cyborg, running forward. But it was too late. Mammoth and the main Billy Numerous had made their way over to the other HIVE members, and with a swish of Kyd Wykkid's cloak, they were all gone, the fake Billy Numerouses vanishing with a puff of smoke.

The Titans recollected themselves, those who had just been fighting getting back to their feet. Cyborg slammed his fists down into the asphalt where Gizmo had just been standing, created two large impressions in the road.

"Cyborg?" asked Starfire carefully.

"We were so close to getting them…" he spat at the yellow lines of the street. "So close! If only we had captured one of them, we could have gotten Robin!"

"Wait a minute…" said Speedy suddenly, looking around. "Where's Beast Boy?"

Cyborg lifted his head, a little dumbstruck, and then glanced around him. The other Titans looked around as well. Beast Boy was nowhere in sight. Cyborg sat back on his heels, whipping open his arm computer and frowning down at it as the data came through.

"He's… five miles away," he announced, eyes widening with surprise.

"How is that possible?" asked Bumblebee, leaning over his arm. "He was just here."

"Simple," said Aqualad, stepping forward. "He must have hitched a ride on one of the HIVE…"

The rest of the Titans looked up at him, a little confused, but slowly, they all seemed to understand together.

In an act of quick thinking, he had become a living, breathing homing beacon. Cyborg's heart lifted.

Beast Boy was going to find the HIVE hideout…. They were going to find Robin.

* * *

**Author's Note: Read and Review! You know the drill! :D**


	24. So Close

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 24 – So Close…**

**Author's Note:**

_**This**_ has to be my favorite chapter of the whole story.

I've had the second half of this chapter written for three years. Three effing years.

And here I am, posting it.

:) After such a long time, I'm glad to finally be sharing this amazing story with the world. Never thought I would, but I am.

Thank you guys so much, and keep reviewing!

* * *

…She was back…

Robin gave a shuddering breath, reaching out for her with his damaged mind, wanting to feel and know something other than pain and misery.

…please, Raven, don't leave me again….

She spoke back to him, but his mind had trouble latching onto her words… even her mental words…

…Raven… I feel like I'm dying…

… _you are… _

Robin sighed, and opened his eyes. He was in the middle of a huge, empty space… he could see no walls, no doors, no ceiling… his feet didn't even touch the ground… there was no ground… He lifted his head and saw her before him, just out of reach, her eyes wide, alert… he'd never seen her so afraid before…

Perhaps he really was dying…

"What do I do?" he asked her, softly.

"Hang on…" she replied, a stern, urgent tone. "You won't have to wait much longer… we'll be there soon… we're on our way… just hang on…"

Robin's head drooped a little, and he lifted it again. She was suddenly a few feet further back. She was leaving him.

"No…" he croaked, stretching his arm out toward her. "No… please… stay with me…"

His body went numb… his legs gave out… his arm dropping as his body collapsed downward, pulled down by something unseen… trying to drag him into darkness...

"Robin…" her voice sounded so distant all of a sudden. He peered through heavy eyes… she was another couple of yards away… fuzzy… indistinct… her face blurred…

"Rae…" he began, reaching out desperately… he was losing her… his body gave a hard shudder, beginning to seize, beginning to fail…

He heard laughter… insane laughter…

"…don't give in to it…"

"I don't want to…" he murmured, struggling to breath… it felt like he was suffocating. "It's so strong…"

"Don't give in…"

He blinked, eyes losing their focus…. She was even further away now, just a blur. There were others with her, other figures. It took a long moment of squinting before he recognized their silhouettes… Cyborg… Beast Boy… Starfire… Batman….

He could see their shadows… but he couldn't picture them… couldn't remember…

"No…" he whispered... "No… no don't…"

"…don't…?" Her voice was only a breath now, barely audible over the increasing sound of laughter… the Joker's… or was it his own…?

"…Don't come after me…" he found himself whispering. "I… I don't want this… I don't want you guys…"

"…Robin…?"

Their forms were disappearing, one right after another… flickering out of sight like the flames on top of dying candles. The laughter was deafening. The darkness was taking hold.

"I don't want this happening to you… I don't want him… killing you too…" he finally managed to say, before the laughter consumed him completely… and they were all gone…

* * *

Robin awoke, coming out of his toxin-induced dream painfully, body completely destroyed from the beatings and the laughing gas. He coughed hard, causing bursts of lightning barreling through his chest. With tremendous effort, he rolled over onto his back, groaning loudly from the exertion. He breathed shallow, painful breaths, struggling to recover the oxygen which long hours of laughter had deprived him.

As his mind slowly returned, the first emotion that he grasped was one of deep relief.

He was still alive. And, once again, he had triumphed over the laughing gas. The gas that had pulled so many others away from sanity… and yet he hadn't. He had not succumbed to it. That fact alone was enough to empower him to keep fighting. He was strong enough…

Or was he?

The idea hit him hard, causing a harsh jerking sensation in his stomach which snapped through his whole body, sending him rolling to his side. Was he really that strong? Was his mental state as sound as he believed it to be? How can one who is going insane know he's going insane? What if the knowledge of what insanity is slips at the same rate that the sanity does?

….name is Jay… and I'm the Joker's son…

"No," he murmured, curling up into a ball in attempt to stop the ripping feeling in his empty stomach, trying to will that awful sentence to go away. It was stuck in his head, like an awful but catchy tune… He wanted it gone…

His hands were trembling, and he clutched them together to try and make them stop. No, he told himself. He wasn't going crazy. He wouldn't. He would not allow that monster to have that pleasure. He would never give in to such a villain. He would hold out. Hold out as long as he could, until they found him.

They… who were they?

Robin slammed his head against the hard floor, as though to throw his memory back into gear. _You know damn well who! Your friends! The Teen Titans! Raven, Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy…_

If they're your friends… why haven't they saved you yet?

…name is Jay…

_Shut up! They're looking for me! They'll find me! They would never--_

They won't find you. They're not smart enough, not strong enough. So many days have already passed… It'll be many more days, many weeks--

_No! You're lying! They're working as hard as they can! They will…_

A raspy scream ripped through his throat, his body jerking backwards into the hard concrete wall as he realized… he was having a conversation with himself. He was _arguing_ with himself! His feet kicked out at the concrete ground, pushing his body upright against the wall, his shaking hands clutched at his head, still screaming, tears welling up in his eyes.

"No!" he screamed. "This isn't happening! Not now!"

His whole body was trembling now, and that stupid voice in his head would not shut up. They've probably given up by now, it said. They don't care about you as much as you think.

"That's not true," he spat. He somehow managed to get his feet, pacing around in circles with weak, unsteady steps, still holding his head. "They love me -- they WORSHIP me! How dare…"

How dare you say such things? Worship? What are you? Some kind of god?

"Shut up!" Robin shouted, his shoulders quaking as he pressed his hands tightly against his temples, threatening to crush his skull between them. This wasn't happening… "Shut up, shut up…"

Jesus, how egotistical can you get? They don't need someone like you. I hope they never come…

Robin opened his eyes and stared at his feet, still clutching his head. There was sweat sliding beneath his fingers, making them clammy. He blinked away his tears and thought about that sentence again.

"Never come…"

A heaviness dropped upon him, and his sore heart throbbed in his ears. Knees hit the floor painfully, hands dropping as understanding gripped him….

Somewhere deep within him, he really wished that they wouldn't…. He didn't want them to come. He never wanted to see them again. He wanted them to give up searching, to stay away, to not get involved.

"I don't want him killing you too…" he murmured to the empty air before him, and then furrowed his eyebrows with a strange sense of déjà vu passing over him… like he had heard that line before… like something from a dream… he had dreamed before, hadn't he?

The voice had silenced now, and he nearly wretched when he realized that he wanted it back… it had helped eased his loneliness for a time…

His hands were still trembling. He lifted them and struggled to focus his eyes on them, but could not see a thing in the darkness. He set himself down on the floor and lifted his head, looking at the one thing he could see in the room. That godforsaken red light.

…What was happening to him…?

…I'm going insane, aren't I…

He dropped his head to his chest as the reality settled in. Insane… He was going insane. And it wasn't because of the pain of his dying body, or necessarily even from the toxin that poisoned his veins – although that was a large contributor, he thought bitterly. No, it was the pain of his heart. He was alone. Knowing that the others were out there searching for him was little solace anymore. He wasn't with them now. He didn't know how they were doing without him, didn't even know if they were okay. He was fearful of what kind of extremes they would go to get him back. Would they risk their own lives?

What if he never saw them again?

There was a tightening in his chest and burning in his eyes. They were so far away, even in his own mind. Slowly, he realized, their faces had grown blurred, their voices dulling to whispers. The more he tried to grab onto his memories of them, the more they evaded him. He couldn't remember the happy times he had with them, as hard as he tried. He knew those memories were there, just beyond reach, just out of grasp… if only he could reach them…

…my name is Jay…and I'm the Joker's son…

He was crying now. He lay on his side, clutching his knees into his chest and pressing his eyes against them, crying as he hadn't done in a long time – from his heart.

God, how he missed them. He missed their faces, their voices, their laughs, their scent…

He missed Beast Boy's goofiness… he missed Raven's sarcasm… he missed arguing with Cyborg… he missed Starfire's eyes, the ones which always sent a flurry of jitters in his heart whenever he looked into them…

He missed Titans Tower.

…He missed Bruce, and Alfred....

He missed his family...

Everyone he had ever known, had ever cared for, all seemed equally far away now, so far beyond his grasp.

My name is Jay…and I am the Joker's son….

"Please don't look for me," he whispered to the air around him, his energy about sapped. He curled up tighter into himself, fire lashing through his ribcage and his sore back. He felt a strange darkness welling up inside him... an awful feeling passing over him... Their faces were swimming in and out of focus in his mind, so close… so close…

"Please don't look for me… please… no more…"


	25. and Yet

**Teen Titans: Return of the Joker**

**Chapter 25: And Yet…**

**Author's Note**

Sorry I haven't been around much, guys! End of the semester = lots of finals = crushed brain = no motivation to think. XD I also had a bit of writer's block…

But then, dum da dum! Boyfriend to the rescue with my xmas present – get this – ALL FIVE SEASONS OF TEEN TITANS ON DVD! :D Now I've got all the fodder I need to get going on this! :P I also watched Fight Club today, which TOTALLY put me in the mood to write this! ;)

* * *

Beast Boy clung to Mammoth's long wooly hair, a tiny flea, completely hidden from sight. He peeked through the unruly strands of thick brown hair, seeing the humongous forms of Gizmo, See-More and Kyd Wykkid before him. They were all standing in a large, empty room, as though waiting for something. He narrowed his eyes. Where were they? The hideout?

Then, suddenly, a voice spoke out that didn't belong to any of the young villains.

"Okay, guys, time for the usual check-over."

"Ah, ratfarts," grumbled Gizmo beside Mammoth. "I didn't see them throw any homing devices on us. Can't we just—"

"The Headmaster said we need to be sure the Titans aren't tracking us. Now hold still!"

Beast Boy moved through Mammoth's hair, trying to find a better viewpoint to see what was happening.

Suddenly, a huge female face appeared, partially concealed beneath a green HIVE cloak. Beast Boy gasped internally, shying away from the face. He gathered his wits, trying to think of the best course of action. What if this person caught him? He'd be toast. An idea struck him. He took a deep breath and leapt, away from Mammoth's matted hair and onto the cloaked figure, hoping no one saw him as he did. He quickly morphed, turning into the tiniest mosquito and ducking beneath the folds of the cloak's hood. The person he was clinging to waved a big metal detector over Mammoth.

"You're clean," she said after a moment, turning to See-More. Beast Boy shied away a little, wary of See-More's huge eye. But the cycloptic HIVE member didn't seem to notice him as the girl waved the detector over him as well.

She stepped around behind See-More to get to Billy Numerous, and Beast Boy took the opportunity to fly over onto See-More's back.

"You hear something?" asked See-More, and Beast Boy silently cursed himself for not being something quieter. Mammoth shrugged his shoulders dimly, and See-More followed suit before looking down into his stolen purses for his finds.

"Alright, you guys are all good," said the girl. "You can proceed to the hideout, now."

"Thank ya kindly, little missy!" drawled Billy Numerous with a flirtatious smile, leaning closely towards the cloaked girl. "Say, you like them monster trucks? Cuz I can sneak us in if you—HAY!" Gizmo grabbed the southern villain violently by the elbow with a loud, rasping gag, dragging him to Kyd Wykkid as the dark HIVE member swept open a teleportation portal. The wind whipping around all of them drowned out Billy's protests as Gizmo pulled him after the other two HIVE students, traveling through the dark portal and appearing suddenly in a wide entryway.

Beast Boy looked around at the new location from the back of See-More's jumpsuit. It was the hideout, but it looked a lot different from HIVE hideouts in the past: the walls were dark, dank gray concrete, not the bright yellow hexagonal pattern that was their trademark. The place looked partially dilapidated, like it had been abandoned and the HIVE had taken it up as their own. There was evidence that they were slowly renovating it, though, with boards and construction equipment everywhere. There were even yellow hexagon-shaped tiles lying around, waiting to be put on the walls.

"When did the headmaster give you that fancy button?" See-More asked Gizmo, leaning towards the smaller HIVE student. Beast Boy crawled carefully across See-More's shoulder, focusing his attention on the group now as they walked through the large corridor.

"Just today," the young criminal said proudly, drawing himself up as tall as he could, as though very important. "He told me if the Titan brats gave us too much trouble, to use it."

"And what does it do?" asked Mammoth dumbly, leaning over as well, scratching his head.

"You know how we're keeping Robin all locked up downstairs? It gives him a strong, crippling shock of electricity! And that booger-colored phlegm-bag Beast Boy made me press it. Probably knocked him out cold."

A rush of guilt and anger shot through Beast Boy. But his heart rejoiced with the new information. Downstairs. Robin was locked up downstairs….

The four HIVE boys began talking about their stolen finds, walking by a large staircase that lead downwards. Beast Boy took a deep breath and leapt off of See-More's back, becoming a small beetle and scurrying along the ground towards the dark stairwell. He paused at the top, glancing around him, then moving to look down between the banisters. It was a long way down. He hopped a moment where he stood, then leapt out between the bars, flapping his tiny beetle wings, slowly descending between the floors. He dropped perhaps three or four stories. It felt dark and cold at the bottom, like a world devoid of life. He scattered towards the doorway, peering down the long, dark hallway. The few lights that weren't burnt out along the walls flickered and buzzed with a ghostly hiss, accompanied by a dripping metronome of water. It was completely abandoned. Even the dust that had settled on the dank floor seemed undisturbed for years. He backed up a little, craning his insect head back upwards. Perhaps Robin was on another floor?

But what better place to hide a prisoner than in a murky, dilapidated basement?

He decided to take a chance, morphing into a mouse and bounding forward, sniffing at doors, seeing if he could grab a whiff of Robin. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest. Here he was, in the HIVE hideout, on a highly important secret mission. He would find Robin. He would. And the others wouldn't see him as so useless…

_I'm not useless_, he thought to himself.

The bottom floor expanded further than he could ever have anticipated. After a good fifteen minutes of scurrying around and not running into even a footprint, let alone a HIVE member, Beast Boy knew it was safe to return to normal. He brushed the dust off his uniform, shaking his head, causing a river of dirt cascading from his hair back to the floor. He snapped a hand to his mouth after accidentally inhaling a breath, smothering his coughs, peering through watering eyes down the dark corridors. There were so many doors, so many places to go. He lifted his communicator to his lips, paused a moment to think, and then thought better of it.

"I can do this myself," he muttered, returning the communicator to his belt and walking on.

He opened door after door, squeezing under those that were locked by becoming an insect of some sort. Each room he entered was either empty, or filled with old pieces of furniture or boxes of paperwork. "What is this place?" he wondered out loud in one of these rooms, running his fingers over a broken-down desk. "An old office building?" He lifted the lid of one of the boxes and took out a paper inside. It looked like the cover page of an essay, something entitled "Question Phrasing Influence on Survey Response." The page was moldy, water-stained, and though stapled, was unaccompanied by the remainder of the essay.

"Must've been a school or something—wait, what are you doing, Beast Boy? You're wasting your time here." He tossed the paper over his shoulder and shut the lid on the box, stepping backwards out of the room and heading back into the hall.

The dust was giving him a headache. He rubbed his forehead and glanced around. Which way had he come from? He glanced at the ground below him. The dust he had kicked up had settled, and he couldn't make out his old footprints in the dim light. What he wouldn't have given for Cyborg and his built-in flashlight.

An idea popped up, and he pulled his communicator from his belt, snapping it open and allowing the light from it to pour into the room. He shone it downwards, but was disappointed to discover he couldn't find his old footprints in the thick layer of dust that had settled once again on the ground. He swung the open device around, looking around the hallway a little better. There were little bronze plaques with names on them beside the doors. He leaned in and threw a breath of air on one of them, blowing away the dust to reveal the name "Dr. H. Quinn." He blinked at it a moment, then shrugged before walking off, shining his communicator around.

And then a voice startled him in the darkness.

"Beast Boy, man, what are you doing?"

He fell backwards on the floor, practically frame-for-frame like an anime cartoon character. He swung the communicator around towards where he lay, smacking his other hand to his forehead.

"I hit a button on accident, didn't I?"

* * *

The others gathered around Cyborg, who looked down at Beast Boy's face, which was barely visible from the light of his communicator. The two Teen Titans teams had returned to Titan's Tower East, waiting impatiently for Beast Boy to check in. Raven had joined them, recovered and alert.

"I hit a button on accident, didn't I?" asked Beast Boy with a hand to his forehead with a resounding smack.

"Yes, you did," muttered Cyborg with a raised eyebrow. "You at the HIVE Headquarters, then?"

"Yeah. I hid on Mammoth before they ran off."

"That was very intelligent of you, Beast Boy" Starfire said proudly over Cyborg's shoulder. Beast Boy gave a small smile.

"And Robin is here," he continued, sitting upright. "I heard the HIVE talking about him, that he's somewhere on the bottom floor here. I've been searching awhile though, and haven't-"

"Got a lock, here," spoke up Bumblebee from the mainframe Titans East computer. A map was sprawled across the screen, a red light flashing showing Beast Boy's location. Cyborg glanced up at it. It was near the ocean, the outskirts of the industrial part of town. Bumblebee's long fingers danced on the keyboard, bringing up information on the place.

"What is it?" asked Speedy, leaning against Bumblebee's chair.

"An old psychiatry research building," said Bumblebee matter-of-factly, leaning in to read the file. "They built a new building years ago over at the college campus, and never fully demolished this one, partially because it's part of the historic district."

"El distrito histórico? Se realizaron búsquedas en ese lugar a fondo! ¿Cómo les ha olvidado?"

"I don't know…" muttered Bumblebee. "Well, it looks like the building is mostly underground. They kept patients there, did treatments, stuff like that."

"An odd place for a HIVE hideout…" muttered Speedy.

Raven furrowed her eyebrows up at the screen, mind churning with the information. Speedy glanced over at her. "You sense anything?" he asked.

"Not really," she said with a bewildered look. She could sense Beast Boy, but not Robin. Yet, that didn't surprise her too much. "But that doesn't mean he's not—wait a minute…" Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward, her mind reaching out even further… could it be...? She leaned back towards Cyborg. "Beast Boy, did they say _exactly _that Robin was on the bottom floor?"

"No, they said—crap, he's on another floor, isn't he?" Beast Boy smacked his hand to his forehead again.

Raven gave a small inkling of a smile. "It happens."

"Do you mean, you can feel him?" asked Cyborg, his voice rising with excitement. Raven nodded, still smiling.

"Can you direct Beast Boy towards him?"

"Yes, I can."

"Then we may want to head on over there soon," Aqualad spoke up from where he sat on the table. "There's probably pretty heavy security on the room Robin's in. Beast Boy may be able to get in, but might get into some pretty big trouble if he does."

"Hey, come on. Do I ever get into trouble?"

"Yes," answered a long chorus of voices. Beast Boy drew up his bottom lip in a pout.

"You guys are jerks," he muttered glumly.

"You know we love ya," Cyborg chuckled, then grew serious again, looking around at the two girls from his team. "We're going to take the jet over. Raven, you can lead Beast Boy to Robin on the way. He can let us know what kind of security is set up, and how we can get around it. We'll try and make this as quiet of a job as we can."

"And we're coming, too," said Bee, straightening and placing a hand on her hip. "You ain't going anywhere without some extra backup."

"The HIVE have gotten pretty ruthless," added Speedy seriously. "And if the Joker is the one behind this, then there are bound to be a few tricks up his sleeve."

"Alright. Team, to the jet!" announced Bumblebee, pointing towards the door.

Cyborg looked up with wide eyes. "Wait, how do you guys expect to fit in our jet?!"

"We don't," chuckled Aqualad.

"Tenemos nuestro propio jet ahora!" chattered the tiny twins simultaneously.

"Wait, you guys have a jet now?"

"You're not the only one with slick mechanics skills," said Bumblebee with a smile, crossing her arms. Cyborg raised his eyebrows at her, a little intrigued.

"Alright, we're on our way, then, Beast Boy."

"Right. I won't let you down. I promise."

* * *

"Around the next corner," Raven's voice echoed in his ear. Beast Boy nodded as he rounded the corner, then halted, finding himself staring at a concrete door.

"Here?" he asked in a low voice, looking around nervously. He was on the next highest floor, which was not as deserted or fallen apart as the bottom floor. He had already had one very close encounter, and was not eager to get caught.

"Yes, yes, that's it. But you should wait for us."

"I don't see any sort of security," he muttered softly, looking around. He wasn't even sure how this door opened. He grappled at the wall beside him, feeling for controls to open the door with. His hand tripped something, and he had to suppress a surprised squeal as the door slid open.

"Well, heh, if they have security, they'll know I'm here now," he murmured darkly, peering around the doorframe.

"Be careful, Beast Boy."

And his breath caught in his chest as he stared in. It was a fair-sized room, and in the very middle was a platform which stood at a steep slant, with a figure strapped to it. Beast Boy's stomach twisted and curled as he gaped. It was a teenager. He was unconscious, badly beaten, his skin an unnatural, sickening shade of white. He was dressed in a strange set of purple clothes. Beast Boy shook his head.

"Dude…" he breathed, despite himself, stepping inward. He glanced around himself for any sign of security cameras or guards. He paused in his step as he glanced upwards. There was a flickering red light just above him.

"Okay, now I'm sure they know I'm here…" he muttered again, then growled silently at himself. _Damnit, Beast Boy. Stop speaking out loud. You're only going to make it easier for them to figure out you're here._

His attention turned back to the unconscious boy. He hesitated a moment, but realized that if they already knew he was there, it didn't really matter.

"Robin?" he whispered carefully. The boy strapped to the platform did not respond. Beast Boy felt a strange prickling happen across his skin as he stepped closer.

"It's him…" Raven's voice murmured sullenly from the communicator, as though reading the doubts in Beast Boy's head. Beast Boy just couldn't believe it. He could not even recognize the boy, and yet it hadn't even been two weeks since Robin had vanished…

"How does he look?" asked Cyborg over the transmission.

"Awful…" muttered Beast Boy in a hushed voice, stepping closer to the injured Titan. He hesitated a moment, listening for a breath. He couldn't hear anything. Robin was still as a stone. The changeling's heart ran cold. Was he too late?

He inched closer, reaching out a hand, reaching for Robin's, to feel if he was still warm.

But the touch never happened….

His hand sailed right through him, through the platform. He gasped, eyes widening as he pulled his hand away. Robin, and the platform, flickered like static on a television before vanishing entirely.

Beast Boy stared agape at the empty space where Robin had just been, watching his fingers flex and straighten. His entire body grew numb with mounting horror.

"No…"

"Beast Boy, wha—"

The transmission cut out.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Beast Boy spun around, fear clutching him like a vice.

"Oh no…"

He was trapped….

Robin wasn't there…

The mission had failed…

…he had failed…

"No!"

Beast Boy felt anger replacing his fear as he sprinted forward, turning into a rhinoceros and charging for the door. There was no way in hell he was going to go down like this.

But something happened. He stumbled, his own human head slamming into the door with a resounding thud that echoed through the room. He cried out and teetered over to the floor, clutching his throbbing skull with his hands, blinking down at the ground in astonishment. What the hell had just happened? He… he had morphed back… his powers… He got to his feet, clenching his hands into fists before him as he stared at the door, willing himself to become an elephant, a mastodon, anything massive to break it down with.

But nothing happened.

"Oh, shit…" he mouthed, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Well, well, well… what have we here?" chimed a voice suddenly, causing Beast Boy to snap around, looking around at the empty room. A strange coldness swept over him as he realized….

He knew that voice…

…and it was not the Joker's…

* * *

**A/N:**

CLIFFHANGER MWAHAHAHAA!!!

**Read and Review! I would appreciate it EVER so much!!**

And in case you're thinking what I think you're thinking, the answer is: no. lol!

Also, have you ever heard of Dr. Henry Quinn? Quite an amazing psychiatrist. …Whom I made up. For the purpose of throwing off the people who know as much as I do. Tee hee!


	26. Nope

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 26: …Nope!**

* * *

"Beast Boy? Beast Boy, do you copy?!"

Cyborg's voice crackled over the headset that connected the three T-ship pilots, the cybernetic teen desperately seeking to establish contact with Beast Boy. Starfire glanced over at him, then around toward the cockpit on her other side, at Raven, panic lacing her bloodstream as she saw the violet-haired girl staring straight before her, eyes wide, face paler than usual.

"What has happened?" Starfire asked softly, afraid to ask for fear of the answer, her eyebrows knitted with worry and concern for her friends. Raven continued staring into space, but Starfire saw her lips moving before her voice traveled over the radio transmission.

"I've… lost them…"

"What?" Starfire blinked in confusion at the other girl. "What do you mean, lost them?"

Raven swallowed hard. She glanced out her window, down at the shoreline leading towards their destination, feeling more terror fill her than she had ever allowed herself to feel before

"Beast Boy… Robin… I-I can't feel them anymore."

"You… you what?"

Raven glanced over at Starfire, green eyes meeting lavender in a horrible, painful moment of shared sorrow.

In the next cockpit, Cyborg had gone to work, his hands deftly maneuvering across the dashboard before him, glaring down intensely at the screen before him, as though daring it to tell him something unpleasant. His eyes closed as the dare was taken.

"BB's signal… it's gone…"

"...This is bad," crackled Speedy's voice through the radio after a moment. "We need to get in there – now."

"There's some rocky shoreline we can park the jets on, Sparky. Cloak yourselves, meet up with us, and we're going in."

"Roger that, BB… wait, I mean, Bee—aw, crap, this is going to be confusing," Cyborg muttered annoyedly, slapping a hand loudly against his face.

"I'm Bee, he's BB. Problem solved. Let's go save him."

"Y Señor Robin!" piped up one of the twins (or was it both of them?).

Raven continued staring out the window, feeling a horrible, deep sense of foreshadowing. She glanced out to her right, toward the sunset, then found herself turning around in her seat, glancing over her shoulder toward the north, furrowing her eyes out at the horizon with a strange sensation filling her. It disturbed her- she couldn't put her finger on what it was she was sensing. She turned back, glancing at the others and giving a nod.

"Let's go get Beast Boy and Robin," she stated firmly, pushing all those doubts to the back of her mind. "Let's end this now."

---

He was swimming in darkness, unfamiliar voices chattering around him. He spun in a slow orbit, looking around himself, trying to make out a face in the shadows, trying to figure out what was happening, where he was... who he was...

A set of eyes met in in the darkness... they were purple, soft, understanding.

The only ones he could really recognize...

"Raven?" he asked. His voice was drowned out by the others. The eyes suddenly shapeshifted, morphing into the cloaked figure of a person, the material draped around her shoulders fluttering in an unfelt breeze. He glanced around, then back at her, reaching a trembling hand out towards her. He could almost reach.

"Raven," he said softly as he stretched. He was so close. He wanted her with him again, wanted her to speak, to hear from her, to get healed by her... She was the last shred of light in his dark, miserable world. He wanted her back--

"Time for another lesson, Sonny Boy!"

Something cracked hard against his cheek, springing him back to awareness with fire crashing through his swollen gums He gave a harsh, rasping cry, curling his face up against the pain. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he was aware of the chair he was sitting on, his arms bound tightly to its arms with thick leather straps, his ankles secured similarly to the legs of the chair below. He squinted through one eye, seeing that terrible smile completely in his field of vision, causing him to jerk backwards in horror, nearly sending the seat tilting over.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" That laugh was more horrible every time Robin heard it. The Joker brought a hand down on the top of Robin's head, rubbing his knuckles into his scalp in a madman's version of a noogie, still whooping with delight. "Oh, come now, Jay-Jay. You can't still have such a sourpuss attitude around me, can you? I mean, I understand you're still upset about me punishing you so harshly, but really, can't by-gones be by-gones? It's all in the past!"

Robin merely grimaced, his shoulders hunching up against the clown's assault on his hair. It was beginning to feel like a rug burn across his scalp. The Joker stopped and crouched down beside Robin's chair, placing a hand on his chin and forcing the boy's eyes up into his own.

"Besides," the Joker said in a deep, calm, sinister drawl. "I have a special treat for you. Some educational television. Wont that be fun?"

"No," Robin growled.

"Ahaha!" came a second voice, and Robin jerked his head to see Harley leaning over an incredibly old television, running a finger under one eye as though to wipe away a tear. "Hahaha! 'No.' HaHAha! Oh, tee hee, haha! Ah, I like him. Heh hah. He's so SILLY!"

"Well, too bad, you get your lesson anyways!" the Joker chirruped, tapping Robin tenderly on the nose like a playful father, causing a strange shudder to pass up Robin's spine as his captor stood. "What kind of papa am I to not teach my son any good lessons?"

"I am NOT your---AUGH!!!"

An explosion of electricity scorched through his body. The pain was enormous, traversing through every inch of his body like a crashing wave of lava. By the time it was over, Robin found himself clenching down on his tongue between his few remaining teeth, as though to keep his mind away from the pain of the rest of his body.

"Like your new collar?" the Joker asked offhandedly, kneeling on the floor beside the tv and turning it on. "Figured you needed just a little something to keep your hot temper under control. I'm sure it will be soon enough."

"You fucking littl—MFFM!" Harley had made her way beside him and slapped some duct tape over his mouth.

"No talking durin' the movie, Sweetie Pie!" Harley chirped gleefully, dancing away from Robin in spirals, going somewhere behind him and reappearing with a big bag of popcorn. Robin's eyes widened as he stared down at it, his stomach twisting up in a mixture of hunger and anxiety. It had been so long since he had had any food… but the last time he had eaten…

His tongue ran along the swollen, ripped up shelves of gum where his teeth had once been, a horrible lurching feeling happening in his gut as he did. He scrunched his eyes and nose away from her, wishing so desperately that he could use his mouth to breathe, so he wouldn't have to smell it.

"Oh, that wont do now! You can't see the telly with your head all turned like that!" The Joker stepped forward and grabbed the boy's head roughly, slamming it back into the high back of the chair. He barked at Harley, who came over and dropped the bowl of popcorn into Robin's lap, reaching over and securing a leather strap around his head, forcing it to stay in place, his face forward, straight at the TV, which only showed a snowy static of multicolored pixels.

"There! Lessons will go much more smoothly now!" the Joker crooned, sitting on the TV and balancing a remote on its end in the palm of his hand. He threw it up and snatched it from the sky with a laugh, then set it down beside him and leaned towards the boy.

"It's time for another English lesson, Jay-Jay!" He got to his feet and stood beside the TV, crossing his arms over his chest and laying a hand inquisitively on his chin. "A lesson on literary devices to be exact. Or to be even more exact, the idea of dramatic irony! Do you know what dramatic irony is, my boy?"

Robin simply glared up at the Joker, knowing the other knew full well he couldn't answer with tape over his mouth. Yet something in the way his eyes danced in their sockets must have clued the Joker in that Robin was thinking about the term… and unable to come up with a definition for it… though he was certain he knew…

…what a time to try and prove your booksmarts, Robin…

"Ah, now, see what happens when you ditch school for so long, Jay-Jay?"

"Your brains turn to mush!" Harley piped up, leaning in towards Robin with her mouth full of popcorn, spitting a few half-chewed kernels onto his cheek. His stomach lurched violently.

"Quite right, Poo!" Joker chirruped. He kicked the TV with the heel of his foot, and suddenly, the snowy picture vanished, revealing an image that sent a wave of horrified disbelief crashing through him.

His friends… the Teen Titans… members from both sides of the country, walking through the hallways of a dark, dank concrete building. Incredulity gripped him tightly. Were they here? Were they coming for him?

"Hahaha!" laughed the trickster, as though reading the boy's mind. He leaned in, obscuring the television from sight. "They aren't coming for you, though they think they are. In reality, they are walking right towards the greatest trap they've ever fallen into. But, they don't realize it, yet. But _we _do! And THIS, my boy, is dramatic irony!" The Joker straightened and let out a whoop of laughter, turning to look down at the heros on the TV screen.

"Oh, you're so smart, Mr. Jay!" giggled the ditzy young jester with a clap of her hands. "I went to college for seven years and don' remember anythin' like that!"

"That doesn't surprise me," said Joker with a crooked smile, sitting back on the TV, snatching up the remote in one hand, yet leaning over to manually raise the volume with the other.

"Now, let's just sit back and watch, shall we?"

A dagger of icy dread pierced Robin's heart at the tone of his voice. He struggled more violently against his restraints, the straps around his arms cutting painfully into his wrists, the one around his head causing it to throb.

This isn't happening…

…but what was happening….?

..._Raven, no..._

…my name is Jay…

"Well, howdy there folks, and welcome to the first (and hopefully last) annual 'Teen Titans Deathmatch!' My name is Billy Numerous—"

"—And _my _name is Billy Numerous! It's absolutely great to be here, Billy!"

"Ditto there, Billy! What a match it will be!"

Robin stopped his struggling for a moment, staring at the screen with wide eyes. It was two Billy Numerouses, sitting behind a desk like announcers of a sports match. The Boy Wonder knitted his eyebrows in confusion. They were once members of the HIVE… was the HIVE involved here? Did the Joker incorporate them all into this whole ugly scheme of his?

And his friends…

_Please… please be okay…_

_I thought I told you I didn't want you coming for me…_

"And thank y'all for joining us in our pre-show exclusive! Now tell me, Billy, what can we expect from our teams here today?"

"Well, Billy, the Titans simply don't stand a chance with our vastly improved HIVE team. The Titans might have the spirit, and the goodness, and all the hooky-kooky dungus like that, but them HIVE – they got the offense, the defense, the drive, and the element of surprise on their side, Billy."

"Element of surprise? Whachu talkin' bout, Billy?"

"Yeh see, them there Titans got themselves in a bit of a tight spot right from the get go, what with losin' their best man Robin fer the season—"

"Fer-EVER, you mean!" laughed the second Billy.

"Heh, heh. Got that right, Billy!" the other Billy laughed.

His fingernails dug into the old wooden arms of the chair as anger swept over him, pressing down so hard that it threatened to rip back each of his uncut nails, but he barely noticed. He glimpsed over at the Joker, who still sat upon the TV, watching Robin unblinkingly with a maniacal smile that was illuminated eerily from beneath by the glow of the television screen.

"But they got reinforcements, di'nt they Billy? Brought some people in from their special team?"

"Broughtem in, but that will hardly up their chances, if yeh ask me!"

"Why do you say that, Billy?"

"Well, they lost another member, di'nt they?"

Robin's nerves went on end. Another member… no… what… who??

"Oh, that's right! Their offensive forward player, Beast Boy, went down during trials, di'nt he, now?"

"NMF!" gasped Robin, jerking forward in his seat. The Joker's grin widened.

No… Beast Boy… no, it couldn't be…

"Yessir, Billy! He went and tried to go all Cinderelly Story on the lot, 'n try and get dear ol' Robin back on their lineup. But he ran into a whole heapa trouble with the HIVE defense. Got knocked out in the first couple seconds of the first round!"

"Ouch! That musta hurt!"

"That musta, indeed! Let's check out a recap from that!"

Robin stared wide-eyed as a replay flashed upon the screen. There was Beast Boy, walking alone through the halls of the building, looking around nervously, pressing his back to a wall beside a corner and peering around it, his Titans communicator held to his lips. Robin couldn't hear his voice, but understood.

_It was a secret mission… a mission for him to save me…_

And he failed…

Robin stared in insurmountable dread as one of his dearest friends stepped through a concrete entryway, stepping into a room which appeared to have him, Robin, inside. Part of him wanted to scream, to shout at Beast Boy to run, that it wasn't him, that he was walking into a trap, but apart from the duct tape knew it was useless to shout. There wasn't anything he could do to stop it from happening… and the Joker would only enjoy his misery….

He watched in silent, heart-crushing resignation as Beast Boy's hand passed through the hologram that was supposed to be Robin, watched him attempt to break free, but somehow being unable to morph. Saw him shouting to someone outside the camera's sight.

And then, clouds of smoke suddenly exploded around the green changeling, and Robin couldn't hold back his cry as the boy hit the ground, coughing and grabbing at his throat.

"NRM!! BFMT BUR!!!" Robin's voice screamed loudly, still heavily muffled by the duct tape stuck to his face. He didn't even notice Harley throwing popcorn at him, calling for silence.

"Hooooo-wheeee!" whooped one of the two Billy's, the camera view switching back to the two of them. "Did you see that there, Billy?!"

"I sure did, but let's look at it one more time!"

_Oh don't you bloody dare…._

They did. They backed up the reel and played it again, in slow motion, zooming in to show all the looks of pain and anguish on Beast Boy's face as he fell. Robin jerked forward violently against his restraints again, his battered body tensing in cold terror as he watched the beginnings of laughter appear in Beast Boy's curled lips before the emerald-skinned boy landed face first on the floor.

And a small chuckle of laughter rumbled in the Joker's throat as the replay slowly finished out. Robin's wide, horror-stricken eyes flickered over to his, the hatred in his heart increasing substantially as the Joker merely met his gaze with unwavering coolness.

_You're a monster… _Robin's mind screamed loudly._ A fucking monster!…. if any of my friends gets killed…I'll…._

You'll what…?

Robin groaned fiercely, as though a fist punched his gut. He screwed up his eyes tightly, trying to force away all voices, both inside and out… he could hear horrible, sickening laughter from the television… and similar laughter in his own mind… No… No! He didn't need any voices or hallucinations. Not now!

"…boy is in quite a pickle, i'nt he? Let's hope he can make it through the next match!"

"Or not, Billy!"

"Tee hee! Definitely hopin' not!"

"Alrighty, here with us now is one of the captains of the team, ready to put in his two cents before the game begins! Gizmo, you've had a couple of bad seasons, but this year we're all rootin' for you to pull through strong. What comments do yeh have about the upcoming deathmatch!"

"Oh, it will be no match," laughed the young HIVE member in a nasally voice. Robin kept his eyes clenched tight, but could not drown out any of the voices. "Those ratfart pumpkin-suckers won't be able to handle the plays we've come up with! They're as much as toast within the first few seconds of the first inning as my Aunt Fanny is likely to drink turnip juice!"

The sounds from the television flowed into Robin's ears unhindered, echoing inside his slippery mind. He struggled to ignore them, to ignore their upbeat voices, to ignore the laughing threats of doubt inside his own head. The effort was making him dizzy.

"Um, Giz—is your Aunt Fanny likely to drink turnip juice?"

"Keeps a jug of it with her where ever she goes!" the raspy young teen announced with a chuckle. The two Billys whooped and applauded.

"That's darn spankin' righ'!"

"Yeh said it!"

"There you have it folks! Now don' y'all go away, now! The Teen Titans Deathmatch is bout ready to begin, right after this important break from our sponsor!"

Suddenly, everything grew quiet. Robin continued clenching his eyes shut tight, whispers of voices spinning around his head, causing him to shake violently.

"Now, now, I didn't say you could sleep."

The shock collar around Robin's neck erupted with life, pouring hot, searing energy through him again, the fire leaping across skin and muscles tearing everything in its wake. Robin screamed, his mouth stretching wide enough to pull part of it away from the duct tape, allowing his cries to echo through the chamber. And the Joker just sat there, watching intently, like he was wrapped up in a sports match of his own, with Robin's pain as his team of choice. He then lifted the remote and clicked, causing the electricity to stop.

"You'd better keep those eyes open, or that's what's going to happen to you," the Joker said offhandedly, looking down at his fingernails as though inspecting for imperfections. "You're lucky enough I even let you watch TV. You shouldn't be rude by not paying attention."

Robin panted heavily, his body limp against the restraints that held him fast, causing a dull, shrieking ache to sear through his neck and jaw from where the vice held his head firm.

Beside him, Harley seemed to be ignoring everything, lining popcorn kernels up along her leg like soldiers, just keeping herself occupied. She hummed a weird, but familiar, little tune.

…and that strange voice inside his head picked it up, holding the melody… twisting it into a foul, evil song that tore at his mind like claws through jello.

Hush little baby, don't say a word… your friends are gonna die like a mockingbird….

----

**A/N**

To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book….

In other news…. HOLY FRICKIN DAMN! DID I WRITE THIS CHAPTER, OR DID I WRITE THIS CHAPTER?!?! No seriously, I can't tell. XD It totally just… APPEARED! I love the stuff I come up with in the middle of the night… and it was quite the middle of the day when I wrote most of this! (Man, I'm starting to sound as loopy as the Joker….)

READ AND REVIEW!!! THE AUTHOR FEASTS ON AND IS ONLY MADE SATISFIED BY LOVELY AWESOME REVIEWS!!!

(P.S. Please don't kill me….)


	27. Players on the Field

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker  
**

**Chapter 27: Death Match - Players on the Field  
**

**Author's Note:**

So, I keep meaning to mention this. I know I announced that I have all five seasons on DVD now. Well, I have decided on my _all time favorite season._ It has to be, hands down, Season 03. My reasoning is that, it's the most psychologically developed season of the series:

Observe:

Episode 302: X – The audience experiences the struggle of the line between good and evil, Robin's inner struggle to know what's wrong and what is right. It's pretty damn dark, and I LOVE Robin's guilt tripping… :D

Episode 305: Haunted – Robin sees hallucinations of Slade! How psycho is THAT?! (This is my favorite episode)

Episode 306: Spellbound – Raven struggles with feelings of inferiority and being out-of-place. It's, like, borderline depression on her part. Gawd, so emo, Raven :P

Episode 309: The Beast Within – Beast Boy finds himself struggling with the darkness inside himself after being affected by some chemical. He experiences blackouts and is believed to have harmed Raven during them. Borderline dissociative personality disorder.

AUGH I LOVE IT ALL! :D I've been watching them over and over and over and over and over again.

(By the way, in case you were wondering, I'm a psychology minor (borderline major). I would be lying if I were to say this story had absolutely no influence on that decision.)

* * *

A maze of corridors – dark, quiet, empty. The few lights that lined them flickered, threatening to go out at any moment. No one could be found walking through the hallways; indeed, it looked as though no one _had _walked through them in a good many years, it was so rundown.

Something suddenly emerged into existence at a point where two hallways crossed – a floating orb, a lifeless circle of darkness in the dim blinking light. It began small, then grew tremendously in size, before bursting open and falling away, like a water balloon pricked by a needle. In its wake stood eight teenaged heroes, the two factions of the Teen Titans, their weapons at attention, glancing around themselves down the various corridors surrounding them with great vigilance.

"Which way?" someone asked in a hushed voice.

"Follow me," replied Raven, gesturing with her hand down one of the big corridors. The others tailed her closely, someone turning to walk backwards every so often to make sure no HIVE students were sneaking in from behind.

Starfire marched beside Raven, her long slender fingers clenched into tight fists which flashed with green energy every so often, charged and ready to fire. Her eyes glowed a terrible shade of jade, her beautiful face set in an intense, furious glare. She was absolutely livid, two of her dearest friends in terrible danger. She desired more than anything to bring them home, and to teach those who harmed them a well-deserved lesson.

Cyborg trudged along on Raven's other side, his sonic cannon at the ready, jaw stiff, eyes narrowed to slits in anger as he surveyed the empty hallway before them.

"Gimme some HIVE members…" his voice rumbled in a low voice. "…Gimme the Joker… I am going to take them all down for what they've done…"

"I as well…" agreed the Tamaranian in a dark, quiet murmur. "They all have long ago gone too far."

Raven said nothing, walking in stony silence, her hood shading her face, hiding it from view. Her mind was in quite a different place than her two teammates, lost in a sea of confusion and concern…

_I know I felt Robin…_ she thought bitterly. _He was here… I know it… so why can't I feel him now? Why can't I feel Beast Boy…?_

She didn't want to, but a large part of her assumed the worst had happened. She closed her eyes a moment and took a long deep inhale of air as the thought traveled through her.

_Please be okay, you guys…_ she thought numbly. _I don't think I could handle losing either of you…._

She stopped suddenly at another four-way intersection, nearly causing the others to crash into her. She raised a hand to stop them, and turned her head with a finger to her lips to signal them to be silent. She peered cautiously around a corner, then down the other way, checking for guards. But there was no one there. She waved a hand, gesturing the others to follow her again as she stepped to her left.

And shortly, they found themselves face-to-face with a large concrete door. The one that Beast Boy had gone through before his transmission was cut. The one that she had felt so certain Robin was behind. She stepped close to it, pressing a hand against it. But she sensed nothing. It was just an empty room…

"Open it."

Hands grappled for the keypad beside the door, Cyborg's being the first to click the proper button and cause the door to slide open with a scraping grind. Light flooded their eyes, causing them to recoil a little and blink. Their visions soon cleared, and the room came into focus before them.

A wave of gasps traveled through the group.

On the floor, in the very center of the medium-sized room, lay the figure of a boy. He was sprawled out on his stomach, his green face towards the floor. His fallen form was unnaturally still…

"Beast Boy!"

"No!"

Starfire and Cyborg were on the move, Starfire leaping into the air and brushing past Raven to get to his side, Cyborg nearly pushing Raven over as he charged forward. Raven and the members of Titans East hurried in after them, but Raven faltered to a halt a couple feet in from the door, frozen with disbelief as the other heroes sprinted around her, like a river around a rock.

It had happened so suddenly, it had thrown her off guard. All of a sudden, she was able to feel Beast Boy again. She furrowed her eyes in severe concentration, a weird shiver passing through her. She could sense him… but not Robin… why couldn't she feel Robin?

Something snapped her out of her confusion, another chorus of gasps. Raven felt panic racing through her as she hurried forward, pushing herself between Speedy and Aqualad in order to get a better view.

And she gasped as well, what little color she had in her face draining away as she stared down at Beast Boy. Starfire had turned him over into her arms, his face now facing up towards the ceiling.

Raven had never seen anything more terrifying in her life.

His face was a sickly pale olive, his lips stretched back in a terrible, pain-stricken smile, baring all his sharp teeth. And his eyes stared straight up at the ceiling - blank, empty, unblinking… he was so still… he did not even appear to be breathing…

"No…" Starfire mewed in anguish, her hands trembling as she held her fallen friend. Cyborg bent forward, placing a large, metal hand on the younger teen's chest, closing his eyes as his sensors went to work.

"I've got a heartbeat, but, he isn't brea—"

"He is just stuck!" Starfire interrupted frantically, her voice a panic. "He is stuck just like when the Mad Mod would stick him! I should make him laugh!"

"Trust me, Starfire," Speedy suddenly spoke up. "That's the la—"

But he wasn't allowed to finish his sentence, a loud, wheezing gasp interrupting him as Beast Boy suddenly took in a large, gasping breath. Some of the others jumped, the sound taking them all by surprise.

And then, horror struck them as the gasp dissolved into the sound of terrible, maniacal laughter. Raven lost all her breath as she knelt down beside the boy, watching as his whole body shook from the force of his laughter.

"What is happening?" cried out Starfire, struggling to keep her grip as the boy jerked around.

"No… the Joker's laughing toxin…" Bumblebee looked terrified, her hands clasped over her mouth and her eyes wide orbs.

"Here, let me through. Get back." Raven pushed Cyborg aside, kneeling closer to Beast Boy, a pale hand striking out and latching over Beast Boy's forehead. Her senses burst forth as she muttered her mantra under her breath, her soul self leaving her and diving into the boy who lay before her, embarking on a mission she knew only too well…

It would be easier at this close distance…

The others watched her, hushed in stunned silence. No one was quite sure exactly what the young sorceress was doing, but hope rekindled all around as Beast Boy's laughter slowly died away, the color returning to his cheeks, his face slowly relaxing. Maniacal cackling slipped into labored breathing, his eyes closing and sweat coating his skin as the toxin was slowly destroyed. Soon Raven opened her eyes, pulling her hand away from Beast Boy's face, and Beast Boy's eyes fluttered open, a little dazed as he looked around at them all.

"Beast Boy?" asked Starfire worriedly.

"What happened? Where's Robin? Where's the Joker?" asked Cyborg as Beast Boy grabbed at Starfire's shoulder, pulling himself up to sit. He rubbed a hand against his forehead, shaking the last of the crazies from his head.

"He's… not here…"

Cyborg's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, not here?" asked Aqualad carefully.

Beast Boy looked up at them all, his face suddenly becoming very pale again, a strange darkness in his eye. "It's not him… it's not the Joker. It's—"

They all cried out suddenly, the entire floor beneath them snapping upwards, shooting towards the ceiling, which immediately slid apart as four pieces in a spiral pattern. They grabbed each other for balance, a couple of the standing Titans losing their footing and landing on the floor as they were lifted through the open ceiling. Another room greeted them on the other side – immense, bright, the walls covered in yellow tiles in the pattern of a honeycomb. Another chorus of cries rang out from them as the elevator floor jerked suddenly to a halt, leaving them in the very center of the great room.

"What on Earth…" gasped Bumblebee, who knelt next to Aqualad, who had knocked her over in all the confusion.

Then, a loud, deep voice enveloped them, echoing through the room.

"Welcome, Titans! Welcome to the Death Match!"

Raven had gotten to her feet, staring around with furrowed eyebrows. Starfire helped Beast Boy stand, the other Titans all regaining their own footings and spinning around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Wait a second…" Bumblebee said softly, her eyes widening. "That voice…" She snapped her head in Cyborg's direction. The large boy looked stricken dumb.

"There's… no way…" he whispered.

"No way?" A flash of red flickered before them, and a figure emerged into view. He was half mechanical, glowing with red circuitry, eyes blazing crimson as he stared down the eight Titans, who all stepped back in stark disbelief. The villain's lips spread in a malicious smile, his face menacing and demonic. "Clearly, there certainly was a way… or how else would I be here?"

"Ay! ¿Qué? Él? ¿Cómo?!" gasped the Mexican twins, leaping back simultaneously with their eyes wide in shock.

"You!" gasped Speedy, his eyes circular orbs as he stared flabbergasted at the man before him, lowering his bow a little in disbelief.

"Me," said Brother Blood with sneer. "Quite the twist in the plot, isn't it?"

Cyborg gave a cry, but Brother Blood teleported before the boy's laser blast could hit him, the blue stream instead hitting the far wall. The villain appeared a ways away, standing on a high platform jutting from the wall, looking down at all of them with a twisted grin.

"How the HELL?!" shouted Cyborg. He was shaking visibly in rage as he stared up at the cult leader. "You're in JAIL! You're wearing a tutu and listening to It's A Small World!!"

"Yes, I know" said the villain, unsurprised. "Except, it is not _actually me_ in that jail cell… You see, Titans, I and my friend Professor Chang, well, we have gotten very good at making robotic doubles…"

Another flash of red, and there stood a double of Cyborg, staring down at them with a blank expression. The group stared up with wide eyes.

"And you," he said, looking straight at Beast Boy and Starfire, "have already met." He pressed a button, and a familiar voice rang out through the room, causing the two Titans to look at each other in disbelief.

"New information, guys. We figured out where the HIVE headquarters are. We need you here at Titans East Headquarters as soon as you can – the fight's going to be a big one."

"And it will be," added the villain with an dangerous, rumbling timbre in his voice.

As though on cue, doors slid open on the far sides of the huge room, the thundering roar of simultaneous footsteps causing the floor beneath them to shudder. An entire army of robots, looking eerily similar to Cyborg, came marching in, red eyes blazing. At the front of the ranks marched HIVE members, their eyes blazing red as well, evil smirks adorning their faces as they stared down the Titans.

The Titans spun around, staring at the massive army that surrounded them. The reality of the situation struck home in all of them. They prepared themselves, heavily outnumbered but willing to fight. Starfire and Bumblebee leapt to the air, their powers and weapons crackling with energy. The walls ripped open as Aqualad tore water from the pipes on the other side, creating a floating moat around the Titans. Speedy had re-strung his arrow, lifting his bow towards the nearest HIVE members (Gizmo blew a raspberry and twiddled his fingers with his thumbs pressed to his temples). Cyborg's eyes hadn't once left the evil headmaster, his teeth bared in a furious growl, seeming prepared to rip the headmaster's head clear off.

But Raven stepped forward, her eyes blazing with dark, angry energy.

"Where… is… Robin!" she growled, her voice projecting with the aid of her powers to reverberate through the entire room. The HIVE members looked uneasy, despite Blood's control.

"He's not here." Blood said simply. "He's not in this city. He's not even in this state."

"You lie!!" Raven shouted. A row of nearby robots spontaneously exploded, ripped apart by a stream of dark energy she hadn't even realized she released. The group of HIVE members beside the robots gasped and leapt aside as the robots crashed to the ground in pieces. "He was here! I felt him!"

"Did you now…"

A strange feeling passed over Raven, and her expression changed, going from enraged to petrified. She turned slowly, her eyes falling on Speedy, who looked at her with a confused raise of an eyebrow.

It wasn't Speedy she felt, though, as she stared at him.

It was Robin.

She could feel him, stronger than she ever had before. She could sense his terror, his pain… she could hear him cry her name as the connection was made…

And his presence shifted, jumping around the room, a flash here and there of his essence… of him. She felt all breath leave her lungs, understanding slamming into her hard enough to make her knees go weak, nearly causing her to fall to the floor.

This was why… this was why she had never been able to pinpoint Robin's exact location… why she always had had a long, difficult time making a connection with him… why she had been unable to find him the first few days… why she now felt him there when he wasn't… Brother Blood had been manipulating her, her powers, this whole time.

"And you're not the only person whose powers I can affect…" Blood said dangerously, throwing out his hands, eyes growing red once more.

Starfire gasped and dropped from the sky, her green energy vanishing as Cyborg leapt forward and caught her. The water that was swirling and circling around them crashed to the ground with a roaring splash, Aqualad giving a cry and staring at his hands as though they had vanished. Raven cried out and gripped her head, dropping finally to her knees, her mind suddenly shut down as though someone had just snapped it into a box. Mas and Menos cursed loudly in Spanish, gripping hands but feeling no electric connection jolt between them. Though Bumblebee stayed aloft, her wings unaffected by the spell, she somehow knew her ability to shrink was gone. And Beast Boy flinched and looked away, recognizing the feeling that had descended on all of them, as it had descended on him before.

With the exception of Cyborg's electrical abilities, Speedy's arrows and Bumblebee's flight, they were defenseless… powerless…

And up against an army of at least 250 Robots and 40 HIVE members, all with powers intact.

The Titans looked at one another, terror striking the hearts of each and every one of them. Brother Blood's voice rang around them like a death sentence.

"If you guys thought your odds were bad before, let's see you take on my army now! HIVE—ATTACK!"

* * *

**A/N**

Well, would you look at that! So many questions answered, all in one chapter….

…and another cliffhanger! Whooo, I love em!

**Read and Review!  
**

_(again, please don't kill me…)_


	28. Let The Battle Begin

**Chapter 28: Let the Battle Begin  
**

**Author's Note:**

**SUPER MEGA EXTRA LONG CHAPTER! (Budget your time accordingly)**

So, took me a lot longer than expected to write this chapter… cuz... it's a fight sequence… and a really intense, confusing one at that… with so much going on all at once… trying to figure out who hits who and where to break between locations… all that jazz… urgh… and I was debating forever about what parts should go in the next chapter or stay in this one, or whether or not the swordsman should, or… well, nevermind that… you'll understand when you get there… which you wont in this chapter ;)

Luv you guys for reading! Hope you keep on loving it!

I'll shut up now.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2009 will be AMAZING! I resolve I WILL FINISH THIS STORY!! :D

* * *

_This is happening… this is really happening…_

The straps were cutting into his wrists so tight that his fingers had gone numb, but he hadn't noticed. His eyes were glued completely to the TV, his heart stalling in his chest as Raven's mind suddenly connected with his, just like it had so many times during the past few days…. But her presence was not reassuring as it had been before… He could feel her terror, her confusion, and knew she could sense his as he watched her on the TV, the camera closing in tight on her face, her deep violet eyes glancing around in disbelief as she realized Robin was not where he should be. …The connection was so strong….

As he watched her, something happened inside him… a cold, deep-seated darkness flickering into existence in the center of his being, a terrible feeling in his chest that something truly terrible was going to happen. He cried out for her, his voice muffled by the many layers of duct tape Harley had reattached to his face. He had never felt more frightened in his whole life…

And then, the connection vanished. She was gone. On the television, Brother Blood's eyes had gone red, throwing out a hand. He watched breathlessly, eyes widening to their fullest circumference as Starfire dropped from the sky, as Aqualad's water powers failed, as Raven cried out and fell to her knees, clutching her head.

Brother Blood had the ability to manipulate their powers…

Robin cried out once again, dread filling him even more completely. He tugged hard on his restraints, wishing with all his might he could do something – anything! Their powers had been taken away! They didn't stand a chance against that army!

"Hey! Quiet you!" snapped Harley, smacking him on the shoulder with the back of her hand. "SOME of us are trying to pay attention! Gah! Turn it up, sweetie-pie!"

"You turn it up," the Joker muttered apathetically, even though the remote was in his hand.

"Ugh. Men." Harley crawled to the tv, twisting a dial with some short, loud clicks, the volume increasing.

"Aha, di'nt see that one comin, didja Billy?" drawled out the annoying Southern voice of Billy Numerous from the television, his voice becoming louder as Harley continued raising the volume. "Brother Blood has actually taken the Titan's powers away!"

"Saw it a mile away, Billy!"

"You lyin' sack of cowpie! There ain't no WAY you saw that when I din't—"

"_Anyways_," spat the second Billy. "Them Titans is definitely at an extreme disadvantage now, Billy! No powers, up against an army of almost 300!"

"Basically, they're going to get their butts slaughtered today!"

"Slaughtered, indeed!"

"Yes, they all are…" said the Joker suddenly from where he sat atop the old television set, his voice low and quiet. Robin's eyes flickered up towards him, his heart faltering in its beats as he watched the villain. The Joker was facing away from him, pallid face in profile, lit very eerily from beneath by the television. He was staring down at the remote in his hands through half-lidded eyes, almost dreamily, tossing the device over in small flips before him with a very strange smile. A shiver passed down Robin's spine as he watched the Joker… it was almost as if the clown knew something Robin didn't… or even that Brother Blood and the HIVE didn't. The Joker's blazing red glare flicked over to Robin's, their gazes meeting with a rush of cold electricity through Robin's nerves. Again, he got that same horrible sense of unease, a slamming stint of premonition as they stared at one another.

He looked away first, back towards the screen, unable to tolerate looking into those eyes anymore… but he still felt them upon him as he watched the television, his body beginning to tremble as he heard Brother Blood's cry to the HIVE to attack, Billy Numerous' gleeful hoots and hollers accompanying the shouts of the villainous teens as their army charged forward.

Robin felt afraid… so afraid for his friends… he had never felt such fear before…

Somewhere he knew… he just knew…

Someone wasn't going to make it…

…and there was nothing he could do to stop it…

* * *

"Titans, GO!"

Cyborg's and Bumblebee's simultaneous cries were drowned out by the barbaric yells of the charging HIVE members and the piercing screams of sonic cannons from the robot army as they marched forth in unison. The Teen Titans charged forward without hesitation, despite their powers being gone, despite all the odds against them.

They were superheroes, powers or not. And they were willing to fight, all of them.

They were going to fight for their lives.

And they were determined to win.

Bumblebee shot forward immediately, wings flapping so fast one could barely see them. She was the first to reach the line of charging villains, her zappers straight out in front of her, crashing right into the line with a fury of crackling lightning, taking down three HIVE members and five robots all at once with a loud, angry warcry. On the other side of the room, robots and HIVE members were tumbling to the ground right and left. Though not the speeding bullets they usually were, the short twins Mas Y Menos were sprinting around, clasping hands and crashing them below the villain's knees, causing them to lose balance and fall. As the villains began to catch on to their ploy, the twins leapt onto the back of a Cyborg double, latching hands over his glowing mechanical eyes, causing him to shoot wildly in all directions, thus taking down a number of other robots.

Raven had recovered from the crippling sensation of her powers being blocked, her head feeling muddled and dim. She dodged a charging robot, darting around behind him and slamming hard into his back with her shoulder, causing him to stumble forward, but not quite to the ground. She heaved a breath, already a little winded. She winced a little, grabbing her head as dizziness swept over her, before having to duck to the side again, nearly getting hit with a bomb from Gizmo, who hovered above her with the aid of a helicopter backpack. He blew a raspberry down at her.

"Whazzamatter, crow-face?" he spat. "Having problems without your poooowers??"

Raven growled up at him, and then had to dive out of the way again as another crackling firecracker bomb landed beside her, its explosion just barely out of range.

Speedy suddenly rushed forward, his bow swinging upwards, and he quickly hit Gizmo's backpack, causing it to flash with lightning. The young villain screamed and hit a button, ejecting himself away from the backpack seconds before it exploded into shrapnel.

"Whazzamatter, Rugrat?" asked Speedy with a mocking smile as Gizmo crashed to the ground nearby. "Have problems without your tooooys?"

Gizmo began screaming a torrent of swears at the Titan, but quickly squealed and darted behind the ranks of robots as Speedy pointed an arrow at him.

"You okay?" he shouted over at Raven as she got to her feet. He spun his bow around, quickly firing a barrage of arrows and disabling four approaching Cyborg clones that were closing in on her. She nodded at him, looking frantically around, her muddled mind trying to figure out what to do. She glanced back at Speedy, who had turned his back to swing his bow at a cloaked HIVE member. An idea popped into her head as she stared at his back. She ran forward with vigor, snatching a few arrows from Speedy's arsenal and swinging them around as she sprinted forward. Their tips slammed against a robot, sending heavy volts of electricity hurtling through its circuits, frying it from within. Speedy cheered after her as she sped into the crowd, taking down more opponents as she went.

Aqualad and Beast Boy kept close together on the other side of the room, being the two Titans most affected by Brother Blood's control. They stood back to back as a group of robots closed in around them, sonic cannons pointed at them. They glanced back at one another as the cannons hummed to life, preparing to fire. With a quick shared smile, they ducked as one. Many powerful streaks of blue energy raced just above their heads, the force of their trajectory causing wind to whip around them, snapping at their hair. A number of the firing robots collapsed to the ground, taken out by friendly fire, and Beast Boy and Aqualad leapt at the feet of the few which remained, bringing them down as well.

Suddenly, Kid Wykkid appeared at Aqualad's side, sending him careening across the floor with a swing of his hand. Beast Boy didn't even have a chance to react as See-More dropped in from above, swinging around in a wide kick. Beast Boy cried out and threw out a hand, and gasped in disbelief as he managed to grab the boy's foot in midair. See-More shouted out in alarm, spinning his arms around in circles in attempt to keep balance as he tried to pull his foot from Beast Boy's hands. Beast Boy cackled in triumph as he let go, causing See-More to fall backwards onto the ground. The other boy reacted quickly, slapping a hand to his helmet and shooting a laser beam at Beast Boy, who narrowly avoided by ducking.

---

"Robots, HIVE members, everywhere!" whooped one of the Billy announcers, his voice dubbing over the action on the screen.

"Yeah, but not a drop to drink!" finished the second.

"Yeah—wait, what?? Are you confusin' metaphers again, Billy?"

"I barely know what a metapher is, Billy! But five minutes into the match, and no real points have been scored yet. It's still anybody's game!"

"No it's not!"

"Heh, you're right. Let's take a look at some of the other action goin' on down there on the field!"

---

Not far from Beast Boy, Starfire was struggling with Mammoth, their hands gripped tightly in a battle of strength. The Tamaranian princess growled loudly, her arms shaking from the strain of pressing against the bigger teen's grip. Mammoth grimaced, and to his alarm, found himself being forced backwards a little by the alien girl.

"There… ain't… no… way… I'm… gonna… let some GIRL… beat me!" he snarled, voice coming out in spurts of air as he struggled desperately to push forward. He managed to get the upper hand over her again, forcing her back a few steps. It was like a tug-of-war, but in the opposite direction.

"I… am… no… ordinary… girl!" Starfire roared, pushing even harder and making the boy take a few steps backwards again. Mammoth shouted angrily, his arms trembling violently.

Suddenly, he cried out in surprise, and Starfire found herself being pulled suddenly downwards, their hands still tightly locked together. Mammoth slammed to the ground with a loud thud, and she landed right on top of him. They looked down at one another, faces in very close contact and both of them blushing a deep crimson color as result. Starfire reacted reflexively, immediately throwing herself over to the side, pulling her knees to her chest as she spun around on the floor, and then hurled her feet out, connecting with Mammoth's side. The huge teenager found himself launched across the floor, hurtling into the feet of a large group of robots, sending all them crashing to the ground like bowling pins.

"Yeah!" shouted Beast Boy, getting to his feet beside Starfire. The orange alien looked over at her green companion, suddenly realizing how Mammoth had fallen in the first place – Beast Boy had squatted down behind him, breaking his footing.

"Who would have guessed all those prankings on Cyborg would have come in such handiness?" she said to him with a giggle. Beast Boy smiled proudly, but the feeling of triumph was short lived as a blast of blue light flashed dangerously close to his head, causing him to scream and dive to the side. Starfire got to her feet and ran after the guilty droid, immediately taking him down.

---

"That was some dirty trick done there by Beast Boy!" snapped one of the Billys.

"THE HIVE SHOULD GET A PENALTY KICK FOR THAT!" shouted the second, completely lost in anger. "WHAT A DIRTY SNEAKY FOUL!"

"I don't see no birds…"

"Not that kind of foul, Billy…"

---

Back across the room, Speedy was firing arrows as fast as he could, in every direction he could, firing as many as five arrows all at once. He ran around, helping out any of his companions who appeared to be having difficulty. Raven kept sweeping by him, grabbing arrows to fight with – soon Aqualad and Beast Boy had picked up the idea, racing by and stealing arrows as well. Any other time, Speedy would have grown annoyed – his arsenal was specially organized and they were wrecking it! – but they were all so desperate, so powerless, and against terrible odds.

Yet, he realized as he looked at all the fallen robots scattered through the room, along with an unconscious HIVE member here and there, he couldn't believe what they had accomplished. They were practically winning! He swung around and fired more arrows into the chest of a Cyborg wannabe, causing the copper-colored droid to burst into parts, his heart singing with pride.

The Titans were truly unbeatable…

---

"Darnit, Billy! How come that that Speedy kid never runs outta arrows! Doesn't that break some kinda law of physics er somethin? There ain't no way that little tubey thing can hold that many arrows."

"Well, it's quite simple, Billy. They're photoshopped."

The first Billy looked to the second through narrow eyes, looking quite irritated. The second Billy simply leaned back, slurping on a slushie and seeming unperturbed.

"Smart-ass…" the first one grumbled

"You thought I was crazy," said the Joker suddenly, leaning over so he could see the TV, then up at Robin and Harley with a thrust of his thumb toward the screen. "That kid has multiple personalities!"

"He should really have that looked at," chirruped Harley, crunching loudly on her popcorn. She looked over at Robin. "Got any salt?"

---

Speedy prepared to fire some more arrows, but then stumbled suddenly, gasping and jumping back as the ground fractured beneath him. He felt gravity pulling him down, and he quickly turned and ran, sprinting as hard as he could away from the cracking ground. He dove, just barely avoiding falling down to the floor below, doing a somersault and coming to a halt, panting hard from the exertion. He lifted his head, and his eyes widened in shock as a pink-haired girl stepped before him, standing with her weight shifted onto one black heeled boot, a hand on her hip with a sardonic grin.

---

The screen flicked back to the two redneck villains.

"Who's that, Billy?"

"That there would be Jinx," replied the second, and a profile display leapt onto the screen, with her picture and list of facts, including favorite book. "She was the only well-known girl of the HIVE Academy and HIVE Five, but then went over to the good side during the fall of the Brotherhood of Evil, when she fell in love with that creep Kid Flash."

"That no-good _((BEEP!))_"

"Language, Billy! Language! Besides, it looks like she may be back on the winnin' team now! Let's see how it all plays out."

---

"Jinx!" Speedy gasped in alarm at the witch, her pixie face spreading wide in a demonic grin. "What are you—? I thought you were with—"

"We broke up," she said simply, a flash of crimson darting to her eyes as the edge of her mouth twitched with her smile. Speedy gasped and leapt aside as her arms swung around again, causing more of the floor to crack and explode in a burst of pink magic.

"Stop it, Jinx! You're one of us now! A Titan!" he gasped, leaping once more to avoid the streams of power. "Don't let him control you!"

"Save your breath, bow boy!" Her hands zipped around again, beautifully, almost like a dance. Pink waves of energy zoomed towards him, and he jumped aside again. But the edge of one energy blast grazed the tip of his bow, and the string on it snapped with a loud reverberating twang.

"Great…" he muttered darkly, looking down at it. "Of all the rotten luck."

"Thank you," Jinx said with a slight curtsy, before swinging her arms around again.

Suddenly, something searing hot slammed into his back. He cried out in agony, the shot from a robot's sonic cannon launching him forward off his feet. He skipped and flipped a few times before sliding across the ground by his shoulder, ending just short of Jinx. He rolled onto his back with a loud groan, and gasped as he found himself staring right up her skirt.

"YOU _PERVERT!_" she squealed, slamming her foot hard against his face, cracking his nose. He cried out and rolled away, then snapped his arms around, swinging his broken bow under her feet, causing her to fall with a loud cry.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Speedy began rumbling as he began to lift himself off the ground, wiping blood from his nose. He turned and saw the huge form of Mammoth coming towards him, answering Jinx's cry. The orange-haired Titan tried to move, but it was too late – Mammoth swung his foot hard, sending Speedy flying over the brawling crowd like a football through a goal post. Cheers rang out from the HIVE members below.

---

"THERE'S that penalty kick!! Whaddya say bout that Billy? Three points?"

"Over that distance? I say we throw in an extra two points for hangtime!"

"Tee hee! I like the way you think, Billy!"

---

In the center of the large arena, Cyborg leapt with a loud, billowing cry of fury, slamming down with one foot on each chest of two robots, the strength of his legs causing their armor to cave in. He threw his arms down, knuckles plowing into the faces of the droids which looked so much like himself. With a surge of energy, the two robots' systems crashed completely.

The half-mechanical teen straightened, looking around him at all the fighting. It was chaotic, robots firing everywhere, Titans and HIVE members brawling with one another. On the ground lay many destroyed bots, but many more remained…. He watched Beast Boy and Raven as they fought near one another. They were both working so hard, without powers – Beast Boy struggling against See-More, fighting like two kids in a school-yard scuffle, while Raven spun around a sword-weilding villain, using one of Speedy's arrows like a bo staff to parry his attacks.

Suddenly, his eyes glanced upwards, and he found himself staring straight into the crimson gaze of the terrible villain who was running the show… the one causing all his friends to be so powerless… the one who put them in this terrible trap…

Hatred, unlike anything he had ever felt before, coursed through his veins like lava.

He charged forward, his eyes fixed solely on his destination - the balcony where Brother Blood stood, watching over the madness. Cyborg took a running leap, landing on top of the army of robots, foot crashing down from head to head, jumping across the crowd like a frog skipping from one lillypad to the next. Brother Blood simply watched as the livid teen approached. His hands were clasped stoically behind his back, waiting. Cyborg leapt with a cry to the balcony, arms out ready to strangle the cult leader as he flew through the air. Blood simply sidestepped, causing the cybernetic teen to sail forward into the far wall, crashing painfully into it.

"My, Cyborg. How reckless you are in your anger!"

Cyborg growled as he got to his feet. His shoulders were shuddering in his rage, and he immediately snapped out his sonic cannon, pointing it straight at Brother Blood's face. The villain didn't seem at all threatened.

"How the hell is it that you're here!?" Cyborg spat. "You're in JAIL!"

"Oh, Cyborg," sighed Blood coolly. "Did you honestly think that cell would hold me forever?" Cyborg shouted and charged forward. Blood grabbed him easily by the arm, hooking a foot around his ankle, tripping him swiftly to the ground, pinning him down with one glowing red hand to his wrist, the other on his neck. He bent down, eyes flashing with an evil glint. "All it took was one guard. One silly guard, who absentmindedly lifted his telepathy-blocking helmet an inch in order to scratch his head. That was all it took for me to get out, and get a robot Brother Blood to replace me."

Cyborg growled, then cried out in terrible pain as Blood swung his other hand around, crimson energy flashing around his fingers as he sailed them clear through Cyborg's arm, shearing it off.

---

"NMF! SSSI-BRGH!" Robin's scream was hindered to the back of his throat, the tape unrelenting, not even letting any air escape.

"Boy, someone should lend that kid a hand," said Harley with a giggle.

"Boooo," the Joker catcalled with a grin, pointing his thumb downwards.

---

"I've dismantled you once before, Cyborg!" spat Blood, kicking Cyborg's arm off the balcony and into the brawling crowd below. "And trust me, I don't think magic will help you this ti—AH!"

A wave of yellow energy bolts flashed just past Blood's head, causing him to jerk his head around.

"Don't need magic to kick YOUR butt!" shouted Bumblebee, racing through the air towards them, her zappers firing more bolts of energy at them.

That distraction was enough. Cyborg managed to swing his feet upwards, causing Blood to somersault awkwardly over Cyborg's head. Bee landed and grabbed Cyborg by the other arm, helping him to his feet. Blood quickly got to his own, facing the two dark heroes with a strange grin.

"Please," he said smugly. "You two are no threat…"

"You wanna bet?" said Bee defiantly, shoulders back, stingers at the ready. Cyborg stood tall at her side, glowering at the villain, sparks flying out of his severed shoulder.

"Yes… I do." His eyes suddenly flickered out into the battlefield. "And I feel you two should know – you're about to experience your first casualty."

"What do you m—" Cyborg began, eyes widening a little, but Blood was gone in a flash of crimson. Bumblebee turned around suddenly, looking out at the crowd, her heart suddenly running cold as her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the chaos below her. She tried to count the Titans, trying to make sure all were accounted for… everyone was still alive, right…?

…first casualty…?

It was like a moving Where's Waldo… there was Mas Y Menos, riding on top of a Cyborg clone, having gotten a hold of one of Gizmo's gadgets and using it against him and the other robots… Raven and Beast Boy were in a far corner, easily fighting off some HIVE students… there was Speedy, using his broken bow like a staff to keep the bad guys at bay… Aqualad and Starfire were watching each other's backs, taking down more robots…

Everyone accounted for…

Then, suddenly, a cry rose over the deafening din of battle, causing all the air to rush from her lungs in horror…

"RAVEN!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Initially wasn't going to stop it there… but I think it's more painful this way… :D

This has to have been THE most difficult chapter I've written to date... just all the decisions I had to write... flipping between storylines... ARGH! Plus, I kept getting worried that I would post this, and then decide later I would want to change it, and I HATE doing that! (Hence why this story ended up getting abandoned for 4 years, after three rehauls of the first two chapters...) I'm feeling pretty confident about it now...

Btw: google the words "Evil, Inc." and enjoy one of the best damn webcomics EVER!! It'll keep you occupied until I get the next chapter up…. And you also might need something to cheer you up a bit after that awful cliffhanger…

Again, don't kill me (why am I always so afraid for my life when I'm writing this story? ;))

Actually, next chapter will be up very soon, I promise. It's actually already mostly written (as it's a compilation of part of this chapter (initially), and another section I wrote YEARS ago...)

But read and review to get me going on it, mkay? I really, really, REALLY want to know how you guys feel about this chapter - it was such a bitch to write...


	29. The First To Fall

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker  
**

**Chapter 29: **The First To Fall

**Author's Note:**

Did I ever tell you guys I do fanart as well? If you click on the link on my profile, you'll find yourself at my deviantart gallery. There have been some pretty spectacular TT-related posts, including a great Christmas picture. I never mentioned it earlier, because there are spoilers in my gallery (There's still one, but I don't think it'll spoil anything...)

I've been going through some of my sketchbooks from high school (3 boxes worth.. holy moley...) and came across some more awesome TT stuff. I intend to scan them all up in do time and do a sort of collage... I'm still looking for one sketchbook in particular - the one containing the entire storyline to this story, as I imagined it back when I first started writing it, four years ago... I'm hoping it's at my dad's...

Anywho, on with the show!:

* * *

The chaos was beginning to be a little overwhelming, Raven decided… there was far too many things happening all at once… Her attention was focused on a HIVE swordsman before her, someone she had never fought before – a new recruit, she thought darkly – but she also had to be aware of all the robots that were firing at her, all the other HIVE members that were flying around... it was all so different without her powers… she didn't know when someone was coming up behind her… Beast Boy, who was fighting See-More and robots nearby, already had to alert her on several occasions about approaching dangers.

Her head pounded from all the noise and confusion, and from its own desperation to be able to truly think and feel again…

There was no contest - this was the worst fight of her life.

She gasped in alarm and jumped aside as the swordsman charged at her, his broadsword swinging. She clutched one of Speedy's arrows tightly, swinging it up to block the sword as it came down. It clanged hard against the metal of the arrow. Raven's arms shook as the teenaged swordsman bore down on her with all his strength. She grimaced from the effort, her mind chanting "Please don't break. Please don't break." to the arrow. Her knees were giving out. She found herself going down – but she quickly reacted, throwing out both feet and catching the swordsman in the stomach, kicking as hard as she could and sending him, sword and all, hurtling over her head. She struggled to catch her breath as she rolled back onto her feet, brushing her cloak aside as more sonic cannon shots soared by her head.

_Good thing those robots don't have Cyborg's keen human sense of proper aiming,_ she thought as she watched the HIVE member get to his feet, swinging his sword back up and falling into a fighting stance….

But the swordsman didn't move. A change occurred in his expression, his look of determination suddenly flickering into a blank stare of astonishment, his eyes suddenly fixated somewhere behind her.

Raven felt a strange coldness fall upon her…

…something wasn't right…

"Hello, my dear," said a dark, sinister voice, just beside her ear.

She had no time to react, a hand grabbing her by the arm, another slamming against the small of her back. She sucked in a hard inhale of air, her eyes growing wide as panic struck her dumb.

_NO!_

A flash of crimson…

…and everything vanished….

…the world… her body…

…far away, a desperate, familiar voice called her name…

…No…

…she was going down… falling…

…please, not like this…

..._Robin…_

* * *

"_NRRHK!!! RHHFM!!!"_

Robin's brain had gone dead… his body jerked and thrashed around in his restraints, unable to bear any of it anymore… his heart felt as though it had suddenly snapped, shattering pieces after being stretched far too thin… his skeleton wanted to rip through his skin and escape… god he wanted to do something… anything… it was agony… all of it… his eyes were closed now, shielding the television from view, but nothing could erase what he had just witnessed on the screen… a thin streak of crimson light, firing out from the center of her stomach… her face instantly going completely white, her eyes glazing over before her body collapsed forward, out of the camera's line of sight…

The world felt like it was ending…

…and far away, he could hear the sound of Billy Numerous speaking, his voice a blur of unrecognizable words… shouts… cries of anguish… and a little more nearby, he heard Harley's voice…

"No!" she shouted, almost in anguish. Robin's eyes opened, a little in shock, a little in confusion. Everything felt numb and unreal now. "No!" she continued "I lost my bet!"

Robin's chest felt like it was caving in now. Anger and hatred poured through him…

…a bet…a fucking bet…

…heartless monsters…

"Told you she would be the first," said the Joker happily.

"No! No! Simple luck! I bet you double or nuthin that the green one goes next!"

…they're betting on your friend's lives…

…Raven…

"How about triple or nothing that the cyborg is the next to go?" asked the Joker instead.

"DEAL!" spat the jester woman.

Robin opened his eyes once more. He lifted his gaze, glaring up at the Joker.

He had never known hatred like this before…

…he wanted to rip the Joker apart… with his bare hands…

His restraints felt tighter than ever… they seemed to bare down on him as his desire to be free of them exploded… he couldn't get to the Joker's neck, the next best thing was to dig his nails into the wood of the chair… he nearly ripped them off, he was pressing so hard.

The Joker gave Robin a deep, meaningful stare, before he lifted the remote to his lips, his thumb depressing a button.

"Hey, Brother Blood. Go ahead – get the robot next…"

Harley's mouth dropped to the floor as the villain on the television looked at the camera gave an affirmative nod, his fingers to his ear, as though listening in.

Robin's nerves went completely cold with numb disbelief.

…you were surprised by that…? said that voice in his head.

"YOU MEAN YOU _TOLD_ HIM TO GET THE DARK GIRL FIRST?!?! THAT'S _CHEATING! _I OWE YOU _NOTHING_!!!"

Robin's eyes met the Joker's, his body feeling as though he was drowning the coldest depths of the ocean... The Joker stared back at him, his eyes sparkling, his yellow teeth bared in a sinister smile.

And suddenly, as though someone whispered it into his ear, he understood...

The Joker had known… he had known that Raven had been helping him…

…that's why she was the first to…

Fresh tears were streaming down his face, and he clenched his eyes together tightly, seeing her pain-stricken face once again in his mind's eye…

…this couldn't be happening… she wasn't…

"Hooo-WEEE! Look at all that blood!!"

"No one can survive a blow to the stomach like that, Billy… Not even Qui Gon Jin did in Star Wars, and he was a fricken Jedi Master!"

…no…

…Raven…

…she wasn't…

_No… please, God, no…_

…and the others…

…Cyborg… Starfire…Beast Boy…

…everyone… he'd ever cared about…

"You're not paying attention, Jay!"

…Jay…

The pain and panic in his heart was so numbing, he barely even noticed the electricity that began to pour into his body once again… the part of him that did notice it welcomed the pain… he deserved it… it was all his fault….

…they were all going to die…

* * *

Beast Boy felt it happen. It was something he couldn't explain. His back had been to her, his mind concentrated on a Cyborg-double before him, dodging laser bolts and trying desperately, without the ability to morph, to cause damage to the high-tech robot.

But then it happened, and a rupture happened inside him, like a black hole opening up, pulling everything within him into dark frozen nothingness.

And he knew. He just knew.

His mind turned from the peril before him and he spun around.

"RAVEN!"

The scene laid before became a permanent engraving in his mind, chiseling its terrible image into the surface of his memory... The sinister face of Brother Blood, his long, metallic fingers holding her upright, one hand still pressed against her back… the blood projected out of her from the blast raining down towards the ground… her hood sliding down from her head, revealing the fusion of shock and pain in her face, her skin turning suddenly, horribly, pale...

His feet were moving, his heart was shattering in his ears. The black hole inside him was swallowing everything up, pulling away sound and feeling. _No... not this... anything but this..._

He couldn't move fast enough. It was as though someone had clicked the slow-motion button of the world. Gravity gripped her, pulling her down to the ground, away from Blood's grasp with the graceful flutter of her cloak… And her victor stood above her, watching her body crumple at his feet, a malevolent grin spread across his metallic face. His eyes twinkled in the wake of his triumph. He lifted his chin, pressing his fingers to his ear, giving a slight nod.

And that grin…

…he was enjoying it...

A fire erupted in the green changeling. The fast-forward button was triggered. He was sprinting towards the monster with mounting hatred, anger and death burrowing deep into his heart.

"You'll pay!" he screamed in anguish. "You'll pay for that!!"

But Blood vanished as Beast Boy reached him, gone in a flash of red. Beast Boy roared in unrelenting fury, unable to believe he just missed him… he wanted to break something… wanted to make the whole world pay…

But a voice in the back of his head brought him back to his senses…

_Raven…_

His heart leapt to his throat as it all rushed back to him, the hatred vanishing from his face. He turned, looking down…

"Raven!" the changeling gasped. She lay only feet from him, on her front, her cloak washed over her like a frozen ocean of darkness, shielding her injured frame from his view… her head was turned to the side, her hair fallen over her pale face…

His breath caught painfully in his chest. A red pool of blood was forming around her.

"No... Raven..."

His body wasn't responding right. It took everything he had, every ounce of his strength, every inch of his nerve, to reach her side. Panic overtook him, silencing his thoughts, robbing him of any breath as his trembling hands reached out to her. He carefully, delicately, rolled her over into his arms, bringing her face into view, revealing the extent of the damage. The wound was in the center of her stomach, pouring out more blood than he could ever have thought possible. Without any thought, he pressed his hand against it, a feeble attempt to hold her blood in. But it was also flowing from her back, seeping through her cloak and soaking his knee with its warmth.

_Oh, God... please no..._

He swallowed hard and brought his attention to her face. He stared at it for what seemed like forever, feeling like he had never really seen it before, and was afraid he never would again….

"Raven," he choked, tears forming in his eyes. He gripped harder on her wound, feeling the warmth of her blood seeping between his fingers. Her precious life was sliding through his grip... He hugged her tighter to him, her face becoming obscured from tears. "Raven, please. Hang on. Just hang on!"

People were shouting from far away. The battle around them seemed to intensify, but he didn't notice… his focus was only on one thing…

Raven's face remained still and frozen. There was no response at all. Dread wrapped its cold fingers around his heart, squeezing it tightly in its grasp. He shook the girl with desperation.

"Raven!" he screamed, clutching her limp form so tightly, he was afraid she would break. This wasn't happening! It couldn't be happening! "RAVEN!"

"Yoo-hooooo!"

Beast Boy pried his eyes away from Raven's beautiful face, tears sliding unchecked down his cheeks. Ten yards away stood Jinx, a mischievous little smile on her pixie face. She gave him a conniving little wave, and alarms went off in his head. He had to move. He had to get Raven out of there…

Jinx moved her arms in a wide sweeping motion, and surges of energy shot from her and slammed into the ground before him. The floor began to burst, throwing upwards chunks of metal and earth. It traveled in a wave toward the two Titans. But his mind had shut down. He couldn't move. The floor ripped out from under him. He was flying through the air, clutching the dying girl for dear life as the world spun chaotically around him.

Darkness consumed him…

…this was the end.

---

…he disappeared from view… both of them did… falling beneath the torrent of concrete and debris.

"I WIN I WIN!" cheered Harley, jumping to her feet in victory.

"We never shook on it," said the Joker with a pout.

"Doesn't matter, Puddin'!" the jester said with a smirk, stepping gingerly up to the Joker and leaning forward. She lifted a finger and tapped him hard on the shoulder. "I won! Fair – And – Squ-AH!"

The Joker threw out a hand, gripping Harley by one pointed tip of her hat, causing the jingle bell on it to ring melodically. He swung his arm around, sending Harley careening behind the TV, slamming into something and causing a loud cacophony of crashing items.

"AAAOOOOWWWW! That hurt! What's the big—ooh, a nickel!"

The Joker scoffed, then returned his gaze to the boy seated before him.

Red eyes met blue again…

The Joker smiled.

There was something changing in those blue eyes…

…It was working…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Wow, okay, wow…

This… okay, this is my favorite chapter. (How often do I say that?) Just… AH! This angsty crap is the stuff I just SQUEE about! :) I've been waiting to post that Beast Boy part for years…

So… I did something here that I can't believe I did… Just, if you were to able to read every fanfic I've ever come up with (I haven't written most of them down…), you would discover that there will ALWAYS be someone who gets stabbed in the stomach (read my very incomplete Danny Phantom fic sometime…). In this, the swordsman was supposed to do it, then I decided Blood would be the better choice… but he don't use a sword. AH WELL! Same diff. But, what I can't believe is, in this chapter, I reveal why I'm so fascinated with stomach-stabnation…

OH, QUI GON!!!! WHYYY?!?! X'(

Ahrm, well, anywho…

OH! And I better say this RIGHT. NOW.

**NO BBxRAVEN WILL BE OCCURING IN THIS STORY!!**

I am SO FRICKEN SICK of every fanfic having to be SO FOCUSED on pairings. The two are merely really good friends… and one of them appears to be dying… oops, wait, I mean, two of them appear to be dying. Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaa!!!! (Dude, have you ever tried laughing maniacally like the Joker? I do it in the car sometimes. It's crazy fun and really releases a lot of stress. No wonder the guy is always so happy ;))

(Also, I will and I think already have hinted at RobinxStarfire in this story, but that's because it's canon, since they end up together in the Tokyo movie.)

ANYWHO! Read and Review and all that jazz!! (Great, now I have that song stuck in my head… and all that jazz! *snap*)


	30. Don't Fall To Pieces, Now

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 30: **Don't Fall To Pieces, Now…

**Author's Note:**

…wait a second… is that… really…

HOLY CRAP THIS STORY IS OFFICIALLY OVER **30 CHAPTERS LONG!!!**

God, I'm sorry, you guys! I can't believe how long and intense this story is! (actually, I knew it all along…)

We are nowhere near the end, either… This fight alone has a few more chapters. Get out while you can :P (Just kidding, please don't stop reading)

Also, I've received some death threats already over some of the things happening in this story, and, even worse, some threats to give up reading! I beg you, PLEASE ENDURE these next few chapters! It will not be as terrible as you think! I promise!

But… YAY FOR ME! I've actually gotten 30 chapters done! I'm actually ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING for the first time in my life!!! (Well, something without a deadline, anyway…um… go school?)

* * *

"NO!!"

Cyborg stared out over the battle… he saw the flash of red, heard Beast Boy scream Raven's name… Everything seemed to stand still a moment… his heart drummed in his ears like a warning bell…

_Oh god, she's hurt bad…_

He was moving, fear taking over every part of him. He had to help her… he couldn't bear to lose anyone else… he leapt off the balcony, determined to get down to her.

But there was another flash of light, and he was flying backwards with a loud cry, pain rocketing through his chest.

"Where do you think YOU'RE going, Cyborg! I'm not done with you yet!"

Cyborg slammed into the far wall and then crumpled to the ground on his knees, gasping for breath. He pressed his remaining hand to his stomach. It was warped and burned, several holes burned through the thick metal plating from where the tips of Brother Blood's fingers had touched him. He groaned, his body shaking peculiarly. Something had broken loose in his circuitry. He couldn't move right.

"Get away from him!" screamed Bumblebee's voice. Cyborg finally managed to lift his head in time to see Brother Blood spin around and throw out his hand, stopping Bumblebee in midair. There she hovered, her whole being absorbed in crimson light. Her eyes remained fixated on Brother Blood, burning with angry fire.

"No…" Cyborg gasped with a groan, forcing himself to get to his feet, grasping at the wall for balance. "Let her go."

"Just look at that power, Cyborg… It would be so easy…" whispered the villain, his voice incredibly dark as he faced the chocolate-skinned girl before him. He stepped closer to her, reaching out a claw-like hand, holding it just inches before her chest. She watched him vigilantly, her eyes wide with panic as his narrowed dangerously.

"So easy… to stop her heart… to extinguish her from existence…" His outstretched fingers curled, and Bumblebee made a strange noise, her eyes widening even further in dread. Cyborg watched helplessly, terror engulfing him.

"NO! STOP! PLEASE DON'T!!"

Blood's face broke into a maniacal smile, his eyes blazing red. Bumblebee's face had gone the color of ash, a scream trapped in her throat.

Oh god… he was killing her…

"NO!" Cyborg was charging forward. He had to stop Blood. He had to do something.

But Blood reacted instantly, turning toward the cybernetic teen with his one arm still stretched toward Bumblebee. His eyes still shone blood-red as he swung his other hand around his head towards Cyborg. Cyborg gasped and skidded to a halt as a streak of scarlet energy surged towards him.

_Just jump to the side, Cyborg! Get out of its way!_

He stumbled over sideways, his body not entirely responsive. Something, some circuit, some pulse of thought was not going where it needed to… part of his body didn't want to work at all…

And the stream hit him, square in his outstretched leg, shearing it off above the knee. He cried out, more in alarm than anything, since he was unable to feel pain in his mechanical limbs…

* * *

"You're missing all the good parts, Jay-Jay!"

Robin didn't move, didn't answer… more electricity than he had previously experienced had ripped his body apart… every inch of him ached… but he didn't want to open his eyes… didn't want to see any more… it was awful enough that he could hear it all…

"You know, Billy, if I were a robot like him, and this were to happen to me, you know what I'd do then?"

"I dunno, Billy. What would you do then?"

"Quote me some Monty Python!"

"Ah yeah! 'Tis but a scratch!'"

"'A scratch? Your leg's off!'"

"'No it isn't!'"

"'Well what's that then?'"

"'…I've had worse!'"

"'You liar!'"

"'Come on, you pansy!'"

"Yeah, don't be a pansy, Jay!" Harley was right at his side now, her lips inches from his ear. She leaned in towards him, reaching around the back of his chair and smacking both hands on his cheeks, pressing in and giggling as his face smooshed into a fishy face. She then placed a finger and thumb above and below each eye, stretching his eyelids apart, forcing them open so he could see. He twisted his head, trying to fight her grip, but it was useless.

"There, watch with us like a good little boy. Quality family time!!"

* * *

_Get up, Cyborg! Get up! Get up!_

He was struggling to coordinate his remaining limbs to get himself to sit up. It was proving damn near impossible. Brother Blood was coming closer, one hand still stretched out to the floating girl, who's expression was becoming glazed.

_No…_

"Give it up, Cyborg… you can't possibly hope to defeat me in your condition."

"Say that with a rocket shoved down your throat!" Cyborg screamed. He threw his foot out, praying to God his circuits worked well enough – they did, a rocket exploding from his foot. Brother Blood reacted too late, the rocket slamming into his chest and exploding in a rush of fire and smoke. The red bubble around Bumblebee flickered and failed, causing her to fall to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

But she wasn't there for long. The red returned around her, and before Cyborg knew it, she was gone, flung across the room in a streak of crimson light.

"NO!" he gasped, fighting again to sit back up.

"You'll be sorry you ever did that, Cyborg!" Blood spat, waving the smoke away from his face. He took a strong stance, shoulders hunched as he drew up his power, and then he threw his arms out to the sides with a cry, causing a dome of his energy to arc up around them both, blocking the others from interfering. Cyborg stared up into Blood's glowing red eyes, feeling his artificial heart drumming hard in his chest… sparks and fluids poured from his severed limbs, alarms sounding in his head, alerting him that his body was damaged…

But another siren, someplace unseen, perhaps in his human spirit, rang even louder… a warning… premonition…

…he was in deep trouble…

_Quick, get up, get up!_

"When I'm through with you, you'll be nothing but spare parts!"

The villain swung his arms around in quick, jerking motions, sending an entire flurry of red energy beams toward Cyborg.

But Cyborg couldn't move… his leg had become unresponsive…

He watched helplessly with wide eyes as the beams approached him…

_NO!_

They hit. His vision became nothing but a snowy flurry of pixels for a short moment, before vanishing into darkness.

* * *

"NO!!! GOD NO! SPARKY!"

Bumblebee had recovered herself, flying forward toward the large red barrier that held Brother Blood and Cyborg. Her blasters were out; she fired them wildly at the wall of energy separating her from them. She was desperate, panic consuming her as Blood raised his arms.

Cyborg couldn't move… he was…

"_NO!_"

She slammed her hands against the barrier, tears pouring down her cheeks as she watched pieces of Cyborg go flying… a metal hand clanging loudly as it slammed against the wall… one round shoulder hitting the floor and rolling away… and then his head, tumbling off his torso, all his blue circuitry going horribly dark…

_It… can't be…_

"No… No! NO!_ NO! NO! NO!"_ She was bringing her fists down painfully against the wall with every scream, anguish washing over her… he… he just couldn't be…

Blood dropped his hands, turning half away from Cyborg, glancing over his shoulder to give her an absolutely wicked smile. Bumblebee's face twisted into a terrible grimace, alive with an intense mixture of anger and despair.

But then, Blood was gone, though his barrier remained. Bumblebee gasped, leaping back a little from the wall in dread, remembering the feeling of him stopping her heart… she still felt weak from it…

…was he coming after her next…?

Something told her she wasn't going to be targeted… not just yet… there was something so different about all of this… Raven… then Cyborg…

A rush of understanding hit her like a train.

He was targeting all of the original Titans first…

* * *

"OOH! And that's three down for the Titans!"

"Ouch, that is brutal! Cyborg of the Titans has just been beheaded by the HIVE leader! Boy, that sure ain't a way to get ahead in life, is it Billy?"

"Nope, not at all! And this ain't exactly the time to lose one's head, neither!"

"You said it! And now it appears he will never get to be a head waiter!!"

"Or a headmaster!"

"Or the head of a major corporation!"

Robin's shoulders were quaking… eyes burned, dry from being forced open for so long… he tried to shake his head, to get her away, but it was no use…

…he felt sick to his empty stomach…

…this wasn't happening…

…Cyborg…

* * *

She spun around, glancing desperately over the crowd, trying to make out any of the other Titans.

"SPEEDY!" she shouted as loud as her lungs could allow, seeing her partner not far below her feet. The red-haired archer threw a robot to the ground, turning to look up at her.

"Beast Boy and Starfire! Where are they?!"

"Beast Boy was with Raven, and I think Starfire was with the twins! But, I dunno—"

Bumblebee was off, her face now frowning in intense fear and concentration as she darted around above the battle, avoiding laserfire from the clone army.

But then something slammed into her, hard. She cried out, something grasping her tightly around the neck, holding her at bay. She could smell the awful stench of feathers, and a male voice laughed in her ear… some bird-related villain had her… She struggled to free herself from his grasp, wishing with all her might that she could shrink… stupid powers…

She had to get away... she had to stop him, stop Blood… no matter what it took…

…She would kill him for what he's done...

..._Sparky..._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! *dives under bed to hide - quite a feat, considering it's a mattress on a box spring on the floor :P*

I know! I know! Things look bleak and awful! Just hang in there, mkay?

And it's so great to see new names on my reviews! :D I'm so glad people are enjoying! Keep on reviewing - it's what feeds my desire to write... (yes, I am a review whore...)

The next chapter may take a little longer… I'm having a total brain fart about what happens next… I got a great idea when I was driving a day or two ago, and then, PFFT! gone. ARGH! I hate that so much!!! But then, after that chapter, things will get going pretty darn smoothly…

…omfg school starts in a week…. :( Not looking forward to that….


	31. Given The Chance

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 31:** Given the Chance…

**Author's Note:**

First off: CONGRATULATIONS TO **Strgrl4eva**, my _**200th Reviewer!!!**_ I would just say this chapter is dedicated to you, but I think it'd be more fitting if one of the future ones is dedicated to you... Just pick whichever one you like :P

Second off: I wanna share something with y'all!

(Oh god, Melimsah – again with the sharing??)

Shut up, I don't get out much.

Brother Blood: most of the Teen Titans fanatics I've ever known have thought him to be the worst major villain on the show (except maybe compared to the Brotherhood of Evil in general – let's face it, the 5th season IS what killed the show). One of my friends in particular was like "He's so BLAND! Just another lame-o villain. And he's so WEAK in his whole "if you can't beat them, join them" thing with Cyborg."

However, I've always liked him, mainly because of his POTENTIAL… I think you guys can understand, now that you've read this story… if he were to completely unleash his power, just step a little bit more across that line… he could surpass Slade in his dementedness…

Oooh, also, I went back and tweaked one little piece of information from before – Robin's head is held in place by leather, not metal. Just seemed to make a little more sense, that's all.

Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

"Let me go! Let go!" Robin tried to say, but the duct tape strapped over his mouth muffled his every word. Harley still maintained a firm grip on his face, keeping his eyelids wide apart. His eyes felt so dry now, as though someone had rubbed them up and down with heavy grit sandpaper. All he wanted was to blink, just once…

"Go ahead…" Joker told Harley, tapping his pointed chin with the butt of the remote. "Let him go. But Jay, if you start falling asleep again, she's allowed to do it again."

Harley let go of him, straightening up and returning to her spot on the floor with a pout, her chin cradled in one hand. Robin blinked a few times, but the ten minutes spent with his eyes forced open, coupled with the dehydration and the crying, had left them completely dried out. It hurt to blink… it hurt to look at all...

But he had to keep his eyes open… he didn't want them to be forced open again, and didn't want to be electrocuted again…

…but he also didn't want to have to see anything on the tv…

It was unavoidable, though. Even if he were to look off to one side, he could still see what was happening through his peripherals… flashes of color, shouts and cries of pain and fear, Billy Numerous' hillbilly laughter…

He saw their faces… the camera flicking from view to view, highlighting different events as they occurred… he watched, each moment that passed killing him a little more… one of the two Hispanic twins suddenly went down, a giant, disabled robot landing on his bottom half, crushing him beneath its weight. His brother screamed, struggling to lift the robot away from his unconscious brother, but it was no use… All he could do was try to protect his brother while he waited for someone to show up to help… a camera change: Aqualad went skipping across the floor, thrown by his long hair. Mammoth laughed, Gizmo on his shoulder, and the two tore after the Atlantean, who didn't even have time to move before getting picked up and thrown again… another camera change: Starfire was on her knees near the huge crevice that Beast Boy and Raven had disappeared into, screaming down into it… but no one responded… Another camera change… to Cyborg's decapitated head…

...he felt sick to his stomach... this wasn't happening...

...why did they have to look for me...?

"Getting that Brother Blood to help was a great idea, wasn't it, Puddin'?" asked Harley with a giggle. "He and the brats are sure doing a bang-up job!"

"Almost as good of a job as I will do, in the end…" the Joker said darkly, a thumb fidgeting with the battery compartment of his remote control, sliding it open and closed over and over again with a loud metronomic clicking. His sinister stare flicked over to the trembling Boy Wonder, taking in the anguish carved into his face with a widening grin.

"I suppose you're wondering about it all, aren't you Jay?" asked the Joker darkly, sliding off the television and stepping closer. "That bright, albeit malfunctioning mind of yours is trying desperately to understand it all, right? 'Why oh why is this happening? Why would the Joker be working with lowlifes like the HIVE Academy?'" His voice grew high-pitched and mocking as he said this, gripping the remote in both hands and looking to the ceiling with a feigned look of woe. Robin's eyes narrowed dangerously, his body still quaking with a mixture of fury and grief, but the Joker paid no heed. One corner of his mouth stretched towards his ear in a lopsided grin as he looked back at Robin. Behind him, on the television, Bumblebee cried out, a hawk-winged teenager grabbing her in a headlock in midair, sweeping her quickly and violently out of the camera's view.

"Really, it's not too hard to figure out, Sonny Boy! I learned rumors through the grapevine of a cult leader in Steel City who had snuck out of jail and was recruiting young villains for a silly school. A little more research revealed that they were, at the heart, a mercenary group, and could be hired if the price was right… Blood was a little wary of my scheme at first, but when I told him he could have _all_ the Titans, minus you… well, old grudges die hard… and a teacher needs projects for his students…"

Robin watched him intensely, every muscle of his body tensing painfully as anger skyrocketed through him… back on the TV, Bumblebee slammed hard into the ground in a groan of pain, her winged assailant pressing down on her back with one foot, grinning maliciously. The Joker glanced at the screen with a small smile, then turned back to Robin, stepping closer, eventually blocking the screen from view. He leaned over, his white face spread wide in an inane grin, eyes sparkling with wicked glee.

"How does it feel, Jay? How does it feel to watch them suffer, die, and be unable to do anything about it?"

Robin felt his words hit cold in his chest, sending sharp arrows of anguish through his entire body. He jerked his head to the side what little he could, clenching his eyes tight…

Shut up… shut up…

"It doesn't have to be this way… you know that right?" the Joker went on, his voice low, soft… almost soothing… that face was only centimeters away from his now... "There is a way you can save the rest of them…"

Robin's eyes fluttered open, the tiniest flicker of hope flashing through them as his gaze slowly realigned with the Joker's.

…save them…?

His mind flashed with the terrible memories... in a split-second, he witnessed them all falling again, inside his own head... he saw the scarlet blast of energy rip through Raven… saw Beast Boy collapsing into darkness… saw Cyborg's head clattering across the concrete floor…

...so much pain... he could... end it?

"Yes, my child. There is a way you can save them… There is a way you can save… her…"

Gotham's clown prince of crime stepped aside, and Robin's eyes focused past where he had been standing, the screen growing clear.

A set of green eyes met his through the glass of the screen.

"SRRRFRM!!!" he screamed, his neck crying out in pain as his head tried to jerk forward, held back painfully against the wooden chair by the leather restraints. His entire body was shaking now as his eyes focused on the screen… the camera was zooming out, revealing Starfire's whole form, hanging motionless in midair, a halo of crimson surrounding her; behind her, with a hand tightly on her neck, another around her waist, was Brother Blood, his eyes glaring evilly down on her.

"He's waiting for my command, Robin…" Robin's eyes glanced over to the Joker…. It was the first time the criminal had used his actual name in over a week… the villain's face appeared more terrifying and maniacal as ever, the harsh glow of the TV throwing sinister shadows across his face from below. He was holding the remote upright, a thumb extended to press a button. His eyes narrowed a little more, his grin widening a bit further, causing his face to contort into the most vicious expression Robin had ever seen… his blood was running cold, his eyes returning to those terrified green eyes…

"All you have to do is tell me a name. A simple name. Batman's name."

Robin's eyes widened at the screen… the whole world had suddenly gone very still, a face flashing instantly into his mind's eye, along with a name…

Bruce…

His mind suddenly exploded into a chaotic flurry of thoughts, all bantering back and forth, trying to figure out what to do… his temple throbbed with the sudden activity…

…he could save her… he had to save her!

…but…he had sworn… he had sworn to keep his secret… to himself more than to him… but…

…Starfire…

…could you really let her die...? ...could you really be so stubborn and stupid...?

…after all…Bruce can take care of himself…

…no more pain… no more death… please…

…but…your oath…Batman… could you really betray him to the Joker…?

…but can you let her down…?

"I'm waiting…"

Robin clenched his eyes tight, silent, tearless sobs wracking his body.

…_what choice do I have…?_

He nodded… he would do it… he would give in…

…anything but this… if he could save her… save the rest of them…

...no more... please...

"Well. Go ahead, then, Jay. Say it."

Robin looked over at the Joker, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. His… his mouth was still taped up… how was…?

But there was a flash of something behind Joker's eye, as he lifted up the remote in warning. Robin's body went completely numb with shock.

He wasn't going to take the tape off.

"BRUCE!" Robin tried to scream, pressing forward in his chair towards the Joker. "It's Bruce Wayne! BRUCE WAYNE!"

But his cries came out as nothing more than unrecognizable mumbles, completely hindered by the thick layers of duct tape. The Joker gave him a confused look, turning an ear towards him, cupping a hand to it as though to try and understand better. Harley sat unusually quiet in her place, picking lint off the leg of her unitard.

Robin shouted more desperately, more frantically… he couldn't believe it, couldn't understand it… he was fully willing to let the Joker know everything – _everything_ – to save his dearest friend… but he wasn't going to take the tape off… he wasn't… going to let him… why?? WHY? It made no sense at all… the name! Batman's secret identity! It was exactly what the Joker wanted! …wasn't it…?

The Joker finally shook his head with a small tutting sound. "Too bad, Jay-Jay. And you had your chance."

His thumb depressed the button. "Go ahead, Brother."

Screams tore through the speakers of the TV, but they were drowned out by the shrieks of emotional agony that poured from Robin's throat. He thrashed around so hard against his restraints that his wrists had begun to bleed. He was screaming the name over and over again, hoping that the duct tape would fail, hoping that he would be understood… on the screen, Starfire had been engulfed by the red energy, concentrated streams of it slashing into her skin, like lightning bolts… it was burning her from the inside out… tears streamed down her orange cheeks.

_NO! NO PLEASE!!! STARFIRE!!!  
_

Each scream of hers was like a gash through his soul. The chair was rocking, he was lashing out so violently…

Stop it… have to stop it…save her…please...

He could see her beautiful smile in his mind's eye... hear her voice...

...no... anyone but her... kill me... take me instead... please!

…Jay… Joker's son…

…her purple uniform, being ripped to shreds… orange skin becoming lacerated, but no blood dripped as her skin became scorched with terrible burns… screams dulling to weak cries… then to frail grunts… then nothing… Blood released her… she fell effortlessly to the ground, like an angel swooping down on a breath of wind… and there she stayed... unmoving...

As dehydrated as he was, tears somehow had come back to his eyes… he was shaking more violently than ever before, breathing coming through in harsh, shallow wheezes… his body was so tense, mentally curling in on himself…

Starfire... no... it couldn't be... she wasn't... she would never...

From far away, he could hear that terrible, lighthearted Southern drawl of the duplicated announcer.

"Hooo, boy! That Brother Blood is just racking up the yards for the HIVE team!"

"You said it, Billy! And he done fried up that Titan girl like she was a turkey in a heapin' pot o' oil!"

"Mmmm! Like Thanksgivin' at Uncle Bubba's House!!"

"Darn too'in, Billy!"

Robin shook his head, the leather strap scraping across his clammy forehead painfully. It was becoming unbearable... all of it... shut up... He wanted those fucking Billy Numerous's to shut up… how dare they…_ joking_…? …about his friends' … about... them... stupid… nasty jokes…

He gave a harsh cry suddenly, jerking forward again, his empty stomach lurching very violently, threatening to heave up dry acid as the realization struck him, like a sledgehammer to his gut…

…someplace, far in the back of his battered mind… he was laughing at their twisted humor… somewhere… it was funny… all of it… funny… ironic funny…

_…No…what's happening to me…?_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Oh no! Robin, what _is_ happening to you?!?! O.O

…oh wait, that's right! :D

Ahem… again with the pleading of the no killing, please. This includes maiming, destroying, disintegrating, dismembering, devouring, disembowling and all manners of war and comeuppances, especially those involving chipmunks and socks. ;) I do not like being dead, you see. And neither does my story. Being dead kinda gets in the way of the story being written…

To ItsTimeToDance: Here's the first chapter… I have a feeling your trust in me is still broken… please be patient…

And to everyone: Review!!! :D Another chapter is in the works as we speak (could even be done - I had this chapter done the night I posted the previous chapter. I've been a fricken MANIAC about chapters!! It's amazing!) Anywho, it'll be posted soon enough! :D But review anyhow! Or else I may hold it hostage! (I like doing that)


	32. Game Over

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 32:** Game Over

**Author's Usual Schpiel:**

I would like to give a shout out to Autumnights for her AMAZING review!:

_"Once upon a time there was an evil empress that spun words like magic. She wove unimaginable stories to entice the innocent into listening to her tales all throughout the land. The plot got deeper and deeper and the crowds marveled while they slowly lost themselves to her words. Then, when she knew that she had ensnarled them all into her evil trap, she started KILLING THE HEROES OF THE STORY! The captive audience cried out, horrified at the atrocity of the words she spoke, but they could not stop listening. The empress smiled to herself as she readied her jagged blade, then carved out the hearts of every listener one by one, just as she had killed the heroes of the story. Then, when she had ripped the very souls out of her audience, she pleaded for them not to kill her, or maim or destroy or disintegrate or dismember or devour or disembowel. But dear reader, do not fret, for her time is coming. She will pay dearly for her crimes…"_

Awww... *sniffles and dabs her watering eyes with a handkerchief* I've never felt so loved.

Anywho- ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

Bumblebee threw the hawk-boy off of her frantically, quickly snatching up one of her fallen blasters and pointing it directly at his face, not even looking at him as she fired, ignoring his cry of pain as she began running forward, her eyes trailing Starfire as she fell from Blood's grasp, landing hard on the ground.

"NO!" she screamed. She couldn't believe it… she was too late… that stupid bird had distracted her… and now...

_...I'm so sorry, Sparky..._

She sprinted as hard as she could, taking only a quick moment to slam her stinger against the chest of the robot, easily disabling it and jumping over it in her haste. She didn't care that Brother Blood was right there, that she was probably next… really… she just didn't care…

She passed Speedy, who was shoving over a robot, releasing Mas from it's hold… the young Titan howled in agony, his legs badly injured, his brother kneeling at his side, trying to comfort him. Speedy swung his broken bow around, trying to keep any approaching enemies at bay, but he was quickly growing fatigued…

"We have to get out of here!" he screamed at Bumblebee, but she was already out of earshot, sliding across the floor to Starfire's side, leaning over her, overwhelmed by the smell of singed skin and hair…

"Star…" she gasped, her hands hovering just above the girl's burnt body, afraid to touch her. She carefully grabbed her by the wrist, feeling for a pulse… she couldn't find one… desperation grasped her as she snapped up her blaster, setting it flat against the girl's chest, clenching her eyes shut in a grimace as she threw a full shock of electricity into the alien's mutilated body, hoping to jumpstart her heart….

…please…please Starfire… not you too…

Brother Blood laughed from where he floated above her, a deep, rolling burble of hatred. Bumblebee snapped her head back, glaring up at his terrible robotic form, feeling that stinging hatred flowing through her veins again.

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" she snapped. "Aren't you going to kill me too?!" She had no idea why she was provoking him… did part of her really want to die, too?

…No, that wasn't what drove her… she wanted to fight him… she wanted to fight him and bring him down… wanted to see his head on the ground...

But Blood simply stared down at her, his face softening in amusement.

"No. I have business elsewhere. Besides, what kind of teacher would I be if I didn't leave some of the fun to my students? After all, they hate you as much as I do. Have fun!"

And with a wave, and a swirl of red, he was gone. Bumblebee stared dumbfounded at the place he had just been, feeling robbed of air. Then she came back to her senses, returning her attention to the world around her, her heart faltering in her chest as she took in her surroundings.

At least three or four HIVE members had encircled her, along with twenty or so robots. Bumblebee felt her breathing grow quick as fear overwhelmed her. Her mind flashed with the memories of all her companions, trying to figure out who was left... Speedy… Mas and… no… Mas was injured now, too… And she didn't even know about Aqualad… she hadn't seen him for… and… what about Beast Boy…? Had Blood gotten him already, too…?

…They had to get out… somehow… they had to get out of there…

And she wasn't going to give up. Not now. Not without a fight….

But… what chance did they have…?

* * *

Pounding head… darkness… the smell of blood…

It was very silent…

Beast Boy coiled his fingers into his palm… a fist… he could still move… that was always a good thing…

…_What…what happened…?_

His mind felt so muddled, slowed-down… he struggled to remember..

…that's right… he had fallen…

…she had fallen…

…a battle… a streak of blood… pink flashes of light and a world overturned…

His eyes opened slowly, laboriously, his body and heart numb as he stared into the darkness above him…. He groaned at the pain in his head, a hand reflexively reaching to rub it… he pulled it away and looked at it… he was bleeding…

_Great...a concussion... just what I need right now..._

Then, through the spaces between his bloodied fingers, he saw her... her still, unmoving form, just feet from where he lay….

"Raven…" he murmured softly, all breath lost from him. He fought to move, to turn himself over… it was much harder than he could ever have expected. He rolled over... he was on his stomach… he was pulling himself over to her…

How long had he been unconscious…?

He pressed against the floor, forced himself achingly to hands and knees beside her. He lifted his head, looked down on her… she was so pale… there was so much blood…

_Oh God, please no…._

Then… a movement… the quick rise and fall of her chest as she took in a deep, rattling breath. His heart gave a trill of adrenaline. She was alive!

"Raven," he said, louder now, more desperately, leaning in. He lifted a blood-stained hand and reached for her, resting it on her neck, below her jawline… feeling her pulse, her gentle rhythm of life… it was so weak.

She moved… she tilted her head slightly towards him, eyes closed in pain, her lips parting as she struggled with air.

Blood trickled down her cheek from her open mouth.

"Oh, my God…" Beast Boy breathed, cradling her face in both his hands. Fear… complete panic was taking over him as he held her… he wiped the blood away from her pale skin with his thumb, creating a streak of maroon across her cheek… her breaths were so short… so labored…

…She was dying….

She moved… her slender fingers grazed his arm, shaking as they lightly touched him. He swallowed hard and let his hand fall, embracing hers gently, trembling.

"It's going to be okay…" he told her with as calm of a voice as he could manage. He looked around, his body shaking with panic and pain, his injured head swimming from the effort.

Where were they…? And where were the others…? His pounding head raced, trying to figure it all out, trying to figure out a way out of this… he remembered being in that big room, fighting all those Cyborg doubles, all those HIVE students… Jinx had attacked them, destroyed the floor around them… they had fallen…

He lifted his head, his temples pounding as he fought to look up at the ceiling. There should've been a huge gaping hole above them, but there was nothing. They were just in a big empty room….

He didn't know where they were… or how they got there… and the others probably didn't know either….

His heart seized up with dread… it… all seemed so hopeless….

Raven gave a gurgled cough below him, and Beast Boy returned his attention to her. Her fingers squeezed his weakly.

"Don't let go…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Whatever you do… don't let go…"

Beast Boy's eyes flickered from her hand back to her face. Her eyes remained closed, her blood-red lips parted as she struggled for air. Beast Boy leaned in closer, his grip tightening on her fingers, his other hand trembling against her cold neck.

"I'm not going to leave you," he said with a shaking voice, an icy tear trickling down his cheek. "I promise you…. Just stay with me, Raven… just… don't leave me…"

"My, my. How touching."

Beast Boy's eyes snapped upwards, horror stabbing at his heart. Brother Blood stood before them, mere feet away, staring down at them with a relaxed, bemused expression. The changeling's grasp tightened further on the dying girl…

…_don't let go…._

Brother Blood took a step closer, a strange smug on his face. "I don't know how that girl managed to muster up enough of her energy to bypass my control and transport you here… especially with a gaping hole through her stomach … well, and still be alive…"

More tears were dripping down his cheeks as he stared up at the villain before him. Any hope he had left was gone entirely… he couldn't fight this madman… and Raven…

"What… what do you want from us…?" he growled.

"You are a bit dimwitted, aren't you?" Blood mused sardonically, his footsteps echoing through the dimly-lit room as he began to pace a circle around the two injured Titans. He raised a pair of his metallic, clawlike fingers, and a crackling surge of crimson energy leapt to their tips. "It's quite simple: I just like to see the lot of you suffer!"

There was a flash of red, and a searing streak of fire danced up the green Titan's back. He screamed, a second flare of scarlet flashing through his closed eyelids. Brother Blood was lashing him up the back with whips of magical energy, carving up his skin with deep gashes… he could feel blood dripping… he curled himself over the girl below him, trembling fiercely as he fought to keep from collapsing down on her frail, injured form.

He had to protect her… save her…

…_don't let go…_

Another blow fell….

_Help…_ his mind shrieked… his hands clutched at her, his brain trying to focus on her, not on the lacerations being cut into his back… fingers trembled… her pulse… faltering…

_help…_

His mind was slipping, hands tightening… blood was soaking his tattered clothes…

…_don't let go… no matter what… don't let go…._

* * *

The Joker yawned from where he stood next to the TV, his face long with boredom. Brother Blood had vanished, someplace outside the camera crew's range. Now, the game just focused on the HIVE taking down the last of the Titans. He was growing a little agitated at it all. Bumblebee and Speedy were taking down robots and holding off the HIVE with renewed vigor. Even Aqualad was doing damage, despite the fact his arm had broken during his scuffle with Mammoth. Could those HIVE kids really be so weak? It was a good thing Blood had taken the initiative to take down all of Robin's friends himself…

He glanced over at Harley and Robin. His woman seemed equally as bored, finding more entertainment in a cricket that had wandered across her path than in the television screen. Robin's sunken eyes were staring unfocused into space before him, dark streaks adorning his face from where tears had fallen, though they had run dry by now. His breathing was still quick and ragged… blood was smeared around where his wrist braces had cut into his arm during his thrashing. The Joker could only smile at the haunted, hopeless expression on the boy's face…

"Well, seems everyone is done with the game, huh?" he asked, rubbing his hands together and looking between them.

"We're winning, right?" said Harley, lying back on the floor and swinging a leg over the knee of the other. "You know I don't like all that sports stuff, Puddin'. I can barely tell a football from a tennis racket, let alone how the rules all work."

"What about you, Jay, my boy?" He stepped over to the teenager strapped to the chair before him, bending slightly at the waist to get a good look at him. The boy's eyes flickered to his, a rush of intense hatred flashing to attention within them. The Joker smiled wider, and reached over, his fingers deftly gripping the edge of the tape on his mouth. He swung his arm hard, ripping the tape off with a loud shredding sound. Harley squealed, clapping a hand to her mouth, as though the Joker had done it to her instead. Robin gave a loud, rasping gasp of pain, eyes closing tight in a grimace. The Joker leaned in closer.

"Well?"

Robin didn't speak for a long moment, his face still screwed up in anguish. He was curling in on himself as much as he could, his few remaining teeth gritted together in a mixture of anger, grief and pain.

"I… was willing to tell you…" the boy muttered, his voice cold and steely. Joker's eyebrows jumped up his forehead a little. The teen had an incredible handle on words still. His brilliant blue eyes snapped open, looking up at the Joker, all his rage pouring forth. "I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU! I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU EVERYTHING TO LET HER GO!"

"Tsk… see, I should have known TV would have made you pitch a tantrum like this. Perhaps it's true that it rots your brain. Maybe we should just shut it off."

The Joker turned, pointing the remote straight at the TV, pressing a button with his thumb.

Another hoarse cry escaped the boy behind him. The screen was suddenly alight with flashing explosions of fire and smoke, the speaker system of the television rattling with the deep bass rumble of the blasts. Titans and HIVE members alike screamed as more explosions burst apart around them. The cameras soon went out, replaced by a blizzard of pixels and light. For a moment, Billy Numerous' voice began to shout "What's happening?!" before his voice, too, cut out. Everything was replaced with the long, high-pitched tone of a blue screen. The connection had been cut out.

"Oh dear," gasped the Joker, slapping a hand to his cheek in a melodramatic fashion, looking at the remote. "I fear I've hit the "detonation" button instead of the "off" button! Well…" he turned slowly, looking back at the wrecked boy behind him, relishing in the look of absolute misery that was painted on his pale white face. His voice fell low and dangerous as he looked the boy square on, his lips spreading wide in psychotic glee.

"Looks like it's game over… and I have won…"

* * *

**Author's Note**

I would ask for you guys not to kill me, but doesn't look like that's going to stop anyone angry enough to want to… Perhaps I should prepare all of the remaining 10 or 15 chapters quickly, along with my will and testament, that way if I do get slaughtered, you guys know what happens in the end… (Kidding about the 10-15 chapters thing – it's probably going to be more like 20-25. I honestly don't know at this point… god, I've said it once and I'll say it again - I'm nuts!)

Anywho, I dunno how long I'll be able to keep up this momentum, posting everyday, or in this case, several times a day. I do have a lot of the next part of the story already written, so updates will be fairly frequent. Definitely won't be as many week-long gaps as before, if any. Not for awhile anyways. Towards the end, maybe, but not now.

And to ItsTimeToDance: This is chapter two… Chapter 3, right, is what I'm allotted to gain back your trust? I'll do my best.


	33. Continue?

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 33:** Continue?

**Author's Note:**

I'm dedicating this chapter to xrockin-robin and her sister for several reason. Firstly, cuz it has Robin angst (and we ALL love Robin angst!) and secondly… well, how about I'll explain that one later, after you read, kapeeeeesh? :P (How do you spell that word, anyways?)

* * *

It was too much… Robin was hyperventilating, thrashing against his restraints once more, his eyes wide and unblinking as he fought his imprisonment uselessly… He didn't care that the leather straps were ripping his skin apart… didn't care that the Joker had begun to look at him again with that usual hungry, demented expression… he just wanted out… he just wanted it all to be over… he wanted to scream louder than he ever could, wanted to die right then and there, wanted the world to end entirely so the pain would go away… so that laughter would go away… the one inside his own mind…

"It's not funny!" he shouted out loud, clenching his eyes tight, but the laughter of his own mind was growing louder. "Shut up! SHUT UP! IT'S NOT FUNNY!!!"

"Yes it is…" the Joker's voice hissed in a deep, fearsome tone. Its source was not far from him… he curled himself away from it.

"NO! No… Starfire… it's not f-IT'S NOT FUNNY!"

But the Joker had started laughing, too. Robin screamed as hard as his vocal chords would allow, a loud, rasping wail of complete anguish… he was trying to drown it all out… but the laughter only grew louder to compensate… it was making him dizzy…

"Don't you understand, my boy???" the Joker chirruped in a sing-song voice, leaning in even closer to Robin, so close that spit showered his face. "Laughter is the cure-all for _everything!_ For example, the game we watched! All those terrible, horrible things happened, yet the announcers took it all in stride, with lighthearted puns and silliness! It made it seem not-so-terrible, right? All it takes is the right attitude! All it takes is a _smile!_" He had danced behind the Boy Wonder, hooking his fingers at the edges of his mouth and tugging hard, causing a burbling cry to jump out his throat as the cut on one side was pulled open again. But the Joker kept his fingers where they were, tugging harder and harder, not noticing the blood staining his gloves.

"You see… even the worst tragedies can become the funniest comedies, if you look at it from the proper state of mind… Trust me, Jay-Jay. In time, you will look back on this, and laugh…"

A horrible shudder crashed down Robin's spine, shaking him noticeably where he sat. The Joker released his grip on him and danced forward, hooting a little and giving a big clap. Robin coughed, the blood pooling into his mouth again, the tinny taste of it making his head spin.

"Now, there's been a lot of excitement," the Joker crooned softly, sounding like a parent speaking to a very young child. "I think it's time to have your medicine dreamy-bye."

Robin's eyes snapped suddenly wide and alert, fear dousing him like icy rain. Medicine… _medicine…_ no, not the laughing gas, please no, not again…

The Joker tugged on the front of his blazer, pulling it forward and reaching inside. He paused a moment, his lip curling downward in concentration as he fumbled more vigorously within, searching for something. He patted himself, then switched to the other side of his jacket. With an "Aha!" he pulled out what he'd been searching for – a syringe, and a vial of some strange-looking liquid. The Joker casually inserted a rather long needle into the syringe, looking at the bottle thoughtfully as the boy before him began squirming again, grunting as he futilely fought to release himself once again.

"A present from our dear ol' Professor Crane – He sends his love!" the Joker declared excitedly, stepping over to Robin with a spring in his step. "And this time, little Raven wont be looking out over you…"

Robin's eyes, if possible, went even wider, becoming huge round bloodshot discs of panic as the Joker neared, inserting the needle into the vial and then pulling on the plunger with one hand to draw some of the toxin into its chamber. His eyes flashed intensely as he stood towering over Robin, staring down at him maniacally. He leaned slowly forward... There was nothing the Boy Wonder could do but cry out…

"Goodnight, Jay-Jay," the Joker said softly, petting Robin's hair softly with his other hand, an almost sweet expression coming over his face as he leaned forward and kissed Robin's forehead. "Have pleasant dreams."

He then pulled the collar of Robin's purple jacket aside with on hand, plunging the needle down into his shoulder with the other. Robin screamed as the long metal point pierced his skin, a strange burning sensation spreading through his muscle as the Joker released the poison into his bloodstream. He gritted his jaws together, a peculiar feeling with so many teeth missing… and that voice… still laughing at the irony of it all… wait… was it ironic…?

The Joker stood back as the boy began trembling below him, the poison spreading fast. Robin didn't dare look through his eyelids, knowing full well what was going to start happening… very soon…

"Robin!" said a voice suddenly. Robin snapped his head up in hopeful disbelief. Starfire? Had they survived? Had they reached him after…

A scream ripped violently from his lungs as he stared at the girl who stood suddenly before him. She looked as though she had been flipped inside out, her muscles bleeding huge rivers of blood that pooled at her feet. Bones stuck out in jagged angles… the glowing green energy in her eye sockets were the only thing that revealed who she was…

"Why did you not tell him?" she asked softly.

"I tried…" he gasped, clenching his eyes shut. _What are you doing?… don't give in... don't, don't answer her… this isn't real… it's..._

"You did not try hard enough…" her voice continued… it was so weak now, strained, cold. "Now, I'm dead. Now, we can never really be… what you wanted us to be…"

He felt her cold, wet hands on his cheeks… she was… kissing him… he could taste her blood…

No… NO!

…he shook violently… a scream ripping through his soul…

…and all the while, that voice was laughing…

_It's funny, cuz they're all dead now!_ it sang lightheartedly inside his head, before the laughter consumed him entirely, mind and soul. 

_And they aren't EVER coming back!!_

* * *

Speedy coughed, and slowly raised his head, his arms still clasped over it in protection. He glanced around, the entire room swallowed in total darkness, the smell of fire, smoke and dust still hanging heavy through the room.

"What happened…" he muttered quietly, looking around, trying to see anything at all, but it was completely dark, and suddenly very silent, save for the sounds of more coughing around him..

"No se…" said Menos breathlessly beside him, equally confused, and sounding a little shaken. Speedy leaned back onto his heels, reaching to his belt and pulling out a flashlight. He pressed the switch on it, but it didn't go on. He smacked it a few times, and finally, the light kicked into gear. He flashed it around, and his eyes widened.

The room was a wreck, chunks of ceiling and wall littering the floor from the force of the bombs. But that wasn't the surprising thing – what really shocked him was that every last robot was now on the ground, all their golden circuitry gone dead. Some HIVE members were on their feet, looking around, just as puzzled as they were. A little ways away, yellow light flashed on from one of Bumblebee's blasters, illuminating more fallen robots around her.

"What the fricken-frack?!" shouted Gizmo somewhere nearby. His voice echoed ominously around the room, and Speedy ducked again as debris from the ceiling fell nearby. "All of my stuff is dead! That last sonic boom was an electromagnetic pulse! Everything that was running on electricity in the building is now dead."

"Hey!" called a voice suddenly across the room, his shout echoing around the chamber. "Looks like the power's back on!"

Speedy gave a short gasp as the room rumbled suddenly around them, trembling violently through the floor beneath them. He shielded his head again, dust raining down on him from above, and then, the sound of roaring water deafened him. He spun and saw an enormous tidal wave, stretching the entire expanse of the room. It crashed down, sweeping with it the graveyard of robots, as well as the terrified HIVE members. Speedy gasped as it grew near, dropping over Mas and Menos to shield them, but the wave passed right over their heads, as though a glass bubble had been placed around them. Speedy lifted his head slowly as the torrent passed over his head, his flashlight illuminating the crashing water from underneath, a beautiful display of blue and gold, with the occasional HIVE member swimming by.

The water rushed away from them, and Speedy quickly scrambled to his feet as the water fanned out, carrying all the filth with it towards the walls of the room. He whipped an arrow from his arsenal, flinging it as hard as he could towards the nearest wall like a dagger. It detonated as it reached the roaring wave, and the water immediately froze in a chain reaction of ice down its length, freezing the HIVE members and their dead robots in place against the wall, leaving just the Titans remaining in the center of the arena.

"If our powers are working again, that means Brother Blood is down," said Aqualad as he stepped over to them. "Looks like we've won…" The Atlantean was walking with a limp, cradling his right arm with his left, and Speedy winced as he saw the strange angle it was bent. It was definitely broken.

"…depends on who you ask…" said Bumblebee in a very quiet voice from where she sat. She sat bent over Starfire, who lay very still beneath her, her skin blistered and burned. The Titans East leader lifted her head, staring off towards the balcony where Cyborg's dismembered body still lay…

"Starfire…" Speedy whispered, stepping closer to them. "Is she…"

"No…" said Bumblebee softly. "She's alive… I managed to jumpstart her heart, but…"

"Speedy! Bumblebee! Tenemos que salir! Mi hermano no puede aguantar mucho más tiempo!"

Speedy turned to look at Menos, who was sitting beside his brother, eyes wide with fear as he looked over at them. Below him, Mas groaned loudly, his face screwed up in a grimace of pain. His legs were severely injured.

"Menos," Aqualad told him seriously, face stern but calm as he knelt beside him. "Do you think you can take your brother back to the Tower safely on your own? You guys will make it there faster than we can."

"Si! Si! Se puede!" Menos usually smiling face was very serious and concerned as he spoke. He turned to his brother and carefully lifted him onto his back, moaning in pain as his brother did, as though feeling it himself. He took a moment to make sure that his brother was situated well on his back, then disappeared immediately in a streak of white and red, heading out through one of the holes blasted through the walls from the explosion.

"And we need to get everyone else out of here too," Aqualad looked over at Speedy, then over to Bumblebee. "Speedy, how about you gather up Cyborg, and Bumblebee can get Starfire."

"Got it," Speedy said with a curt nod. Any other situation, he would have complained about Aqualad's bossiness, but now was not the time. "Can you give me a boost?" he asked as he began running towards the balcony, snatching up Cyborg's detached arm on his way. As he neared the high wall, Aqualad shot out his good hand, pulling water from the puddles on the ground, creating a jet of water to push Speedy up to the high ledge. Speedy landed swiftly, swiping an arrow out of his arsenal and breaking it apart in his hands and unfolding a net. He dropped to his knees beside the broken remains of Cyborg and began putting all of the pieces into it, pocketing the little nuts and bolts he stumbled across.

"What about Raven and Beast Boy? Where are they?" gasped Bumblebee, as she got to her feet, Starfire draped over one shoulder, a blaster still providing light from the other.

The sound of cracking ice echoed through the room, and Aqualad and Bumblebee gasped as one, turning towards its source. Aqualad pulled water up behind him in preparation to fight.

"Wait," a female voice gasped. Aqualad's eyes widened as a pink-haired girl stumbled into the light, holding a shoulder with a wince. "Wait, stop. I'm not going to hurt you…"

A long, stony silence enveloped all of them as they faced one another.

"You made Beast Boy and Raven fall through the floor," Aqualad finally growled, angrily, his good hand tightening into a fist as he watched her. Bumblebee gasped over at him, then spun to look at the huge hole in the floor, her face growing pale as she understood. "Why should we—"

"Aqualad! It's okay, listen to her!" shouted Speedy from the balcony, setting Cyborg's leg carefully into the large net.

"I'm sorry," Jinx said softly, her head bowing, throwing her face into shadow. "I… couldn't stop myself… it was Brother Blood. He was controlling me."

"How'd you end up here?" Aqualad asked, still a little wary, his grip still firm on the wall of water behind him, in case it was a trick.

"I was one of Blood's best students back in the day," Jinx said with a short shrug, looking back up towards him. "I would've never worked for him again, but his control was too powerful. He wouldn't give me a choice…"

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Please," she said softly, they barely heard her. "Please… trust me…"

"Hey, Jinx! What's the quickest way outta here?" called Speedy from the balcony. He had hoisted the mostly-intact torso of Cyborg over one shoulder, holding the rest of him in the net at his side.

"Just go through that wall," she said, pointing behind him. "It leads directly into the girl's bathroom, and—"

"It WHAT?!" gasped Speedy, nearly dropping his load.

"Don't be such a baby! It's not like anyone's in there!" spat Jinx, throwing her arms out to gesture to the HIVE members frozen around the room's perimeter, to prove her point. "Just go through there. Out the door is the front foyer. You just have to step out the front door and go on your way."

"But, Beast Boy and Raven…" Bumblebee said softly. She had stepped over to the huge chasm in the floor, holding her light out and staring into it with a solemn expression, which was only broken by a flinch as Speedy slapped a time bomb to the wall, blasting it inwards. The huge crevice in the ground was full of huge boulders, and as far as she could see, there was no one at the bottom… and if there was… the rocks…

"They… aren't down there…" Aqualad said suddenly.

"What?!" gasped Bumblebee, snapping around. Aqualad had pulled his communicator out of his pocket. Somehow, it worked, throwing brilliant light onto his handsome face. He turned the communicator towards them. "Raven's locator," he said finally. "It's moving…"

"Look, you guys take them and get out," Jinx said very sternly. "Find Raven – if her communicator is on the move, that must mean Beast Boy shouldn't be far from her-"

She gasped suddenly, stumbling forward as the whole room quaked violently. They all snapped their heads upwards, suddenly alert.

"The building's going to collapse," she whispered. "Go on! Get out of here, now!"

"Hey!" shouted a voice behind them. Gizmo looked at them from his icy prison. "You can't just LEAVE us here!"

"But, what about you?" Aqualad asked Jinx, as though he hadn't heard anything. Jinx didn't answer right away. She had pulled a device from her pocket, and was now fiddling with it with deep concentration. A flash of light illuminated her face, which brightened in triumph as she held it out for him to see. It was her HIVE communicator, on its screen was a beeping red dot. "I'm going to take down Blood, and right whatever wrongs I did, and keep it that way. Now get out of here. Now!"

They didn't need telling twice. Bumblebee took to the air, clearing the balcony and soaring through the hole. Aqualad ran forward, using the same water jet to carry himself over the balcony, and stepped in after her, pausing only to take a look back at Jinx, who was running towards the other side of the room.

"Aqualad, come on!" shouted Speedy. Aqualad followed finally.

_Just hope you know what you're doing…_ he thought towards the young witch, feeling a little uneasy as he ran forward through the deserted restroom, ignoring the intense pain in his arm the best he could.

They emerged through a busted door, eyes wide with horror at the sight before them.

The entire front hall was engulfed in flames, part of it caved in completely. Bumblebee threw an arm before her face as ash and smoke overwhelmed them all.

"Someone tried to destroy the whole place!" she shouted over the roar of the flames.

"And take down everyone inside. It was probably the Joker!" Speedy yelled back.

"Here, one sec," muttered Aqualad as he emerged last from the door, swinging his free hand around, causing another torrent of water to rush over their heads from the bathroom. It splashed down on the flames, quickly exterminating much of it, and revealing the front door.

"Titans, move out!" called Bumblebee, charging forward, narrowly missing some debris that fell from the ceiling as she shot forward. Speedy and Aqualad tailed her close, clutching their halves of Cyborg carefully, hoping nothing was lost. Aqualad's heart pounded in his ears, hope filling him fast as they reached the far door.

They were going to make it…

* * *

"Hey! What the snot-fart do you think you're DOING, helping THEM?!" snapped Gizmo as Jinx passed him, heading for a secret door on the far side. The building shuddered once more. "You-you're not going to leave us here to DIE, are you?! SOME SCUM-FACED HERO YOU ARE!!"

Jinx looked at him for a long moment, then turn to look at the hole in the wall. The Titans were no longer there…. She glanced down at her communicator, clicking a few buttons, then returned her gaze back to him.

"I will let you go."

Her voice was laced with warning, her eyes flaring pink as she looked down at all the HIVE members still frozen to the wall. "But, you are going to go out this way, away from the Titans. If I catch any of you trying to do anything to harm them on your way out, you'll have to answer to me…"

No one dared answer her unfavorably, those pink eyes the difference between life and death. They simply nodded dumbly as another crashing rumble of thunder rocked the room, indicating a whole wing had collapsed somewhere. Jinx reached out and tapped the ice with one finger, and it shattered all the way down its length, freeing every last HIVE member.

"Now get out through that door and I better not see any of your faces again!" she spat, pointing out the door. They would head down the back passages through to the back door… where the police were waiting for them, summoned by the explosions.

Now, she had to get to Brother Blood…

* * *

…What happened?

A set of explosions had rocked the entire building… and then, there had been a soundless sonic boom…

At first, he wondered if he had imagined it all, but then there was a loud thud behind him. Beast Boy lifted his head carefully, weakly….

The whiplashes had stopped…

Brother Blood…

He glanced shakingly over his reddened shoulder, peeking through burning, tearfilled eyes – the villain had fallen backwards onto the ground, stiff as a board, the red lights that made up his circuitry darkened, powerless. Beast Boy held his breath, feeling as though if he moved, the criminal would suddenly jump up and attack. But Blood remained where he lay.

Was this it, he wondered. Was it over?

Beast Boy felt something ignite inside him, a very familiar, tingling flow of energy. A smile tweaked his lips. His powers were back. He could get Raven out of here.

With a blink of his eyes, his body morphed into an immense gorilla, pulling Raven up into his arms and getting carefully to his feet. His whole body wavered, his mind going blank for a quick moment, nearly passing out. But he managed to pull himself back, regaining his footing. He couldn't pass out. Not now. He shifted the girl's weight in his arms, feeling her blood on them… or was that his own…?

He stumbled forwards, out the door of the room, into a small hallway. He saw windows along one long wall of the corridor, several stories up, facing towards the ocean, with a steep cliff directly below. His breath heaved in labored wheezes as he stared out, trying to decide whether to take a chance with going through the building… or take the chance right here…

He decided there was no way he would be able to fight anyone.

He lifted a foot and struck the wall as hard as he could. It smashed outwards, breaking a window, creating a huge hole. Beast Boy watched the rubble fall hundreds of feet into the crashing ocean waves, and took a deep breath. After readjusting Raven so she was held up in just one arm, he squatted on the floor, and began scaling down the building, like King Kong in reverse.

But with a surge of terror, his blood-covered hands slipped.

They were falling towards the ocean…

He screamed and tried to reach out to grab something, but the rocky cliff slipped through his fingers every time.

They were falling…

"NO!" he screamed, clutching Raven to him.

And crashed into the ocean, a mighty whale, grabbing up Raven quickly into his mouth and swimming off, into the stinging hell of salt water on his open wounds…

* * *

**Second Author's Note:**

Dedication cont. --And secondly, with enough hope, faith, and determination, you can get through anything. :) And though in this chapter it's negative, it really is true that laughter, REAL laughter, heals everything.

Anywho…

I... can't believe it... I got through the whole fight! I DID IT!!! YAHOOO!! *leaps and jumps in excitement* I'm so fricken proud of myself!! And it tall turned out so BEAUTIFULLY! I couldn't have asked for better!

This chapter was the third chance I had in ItsTimeToDance's warning. (Threatened to lose all trust in me forever and, like, stop reading or something. What was it again?) I hope I win…. I don't want to lose readers over something as trivial as characters dying. Pfffftp :P Well, if I lost this time, at least stick around another chapter? I PROMISE I'll win completely by then!

Oh, and speaking of dying, will the rest of you, please put down your weapons already?? Gosh, such hostility. :) Although, you know, that just means I'm winning! – I'm winning the my-stories-envoke-emotions-in-the-readers game! …and I just lost "The Game." Oooh, I wonder who else just lost, mwahahaha…

Anywho, read, review, recycle!


	34. On the Outside, Looking In

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 34:** On the Outside, Looking In

**Author's Memo:**

Sorry for the late update (sorta). I had a lot going on with moving and classes and grargh. Updates will continue to be not-so-common, sorry. Lots going on right now. Lots. But, I felt I needed to post a chapter before the semester gets too far underway. The second part isn't as good as I would like, sorry... I promise there will be better Robin-angst in the future... (oh BOY will there be...)

* * *

The HIVE headquarters were completely wrecked. No hallway or floor had been left undamaged from the blasts of the bombs, and it was making Jinx's mission incredibly difficult as she hurried down corridor after corridor riddled with fire, walls in shambles and debris raining down on her. There were several times she found herself forced to backtrack and seek out alternate routes. It was taking her so much longer than she had anticipated to reach Blood, and as she pressed on, she felt as though an invisible clock was ticking down. It would only be a matter of time before Blood powered back on… or before the whole structure collapsed on top of her…

But somewhere inside, she couldn't help but feel eternally grateful that Blood was part robot now… That electromagnetic pulse that had disabled all the robots would have had no effect on him otherwise, and then, she would still be under his control… and the Titans would probably never have made it out alive…

She swung her hands around, sending cascading pink streams of energy through a rubble-filled hallway, clearing it enough for her to squeeze through, her forehead crinkling with deep thought as she continued forward…

_Where did that pulse come from_? she wondered. And the explosions… that had not been part of the plan… _Obviously_, she told herself as she threw her hands before her face, nearly running straight into a wall of flame. She stepped back, coughing hard, slamming a hand into the nearest wall, breaking it apart with a flash of pink, creating a new path.

She wondered if perhaps there was supposed to be more explosions… that maybe the whole school was supposed to go down… The results of the bombing looked half-assed, at best – someone wanting to destroy a building as big as theirs would have needed more than that to bring it down... It all just seemed wrong, like there really should have been more… Did the electromagnetic pulse maybe disable the remaining bombs…?

Another explosion rocked the building from far away, causing her to stumble sideways into the wall, shielding her head as bits of the ceiling tiles rained down on her.

_Well… guess that answers my question_, she thought. _The fires and debris must have triggered another one…_

She grew incredibly uneasy, looking around at the walls nervously as she hurried forward… what if there was a bomb right there…? She really should get out…

With a shake of her head and swallowing hard, she forced herself to press on. No, she had to do this… Besides, she told herself, looking back down at the HIVE communicator in her hand, that bleeping light still flashing at her. She was almost there.

She skidded to a halt in a long hallway that was lined with windows, the whole length of it illuminated by the deep red sky outside. Her labored breath caught in her throat as she stared at the floor before her. There, lit softly by the ethereal light of dusk, she could see a dark trail of blood, leading from a far room, towards her, and out a gaping hole in the wall a yard or two before her. She stepped closer, squinting a little to bring the floor into better focus, and took a quick, sharp inhale as she made out a set of red animal prints trailing through the spattered blood. She stepped over to the huge hole, looking out frantically. She saw some claw marks on the wall just below her, but there was no one to be found, just the ocean crashing against the cliff below.

Beast Boy….

He was hurt… or… was that Raven's blood…?

…the ocean…

She cursed under her breath… she wished she had her Titans communicator…

But no sooner had she thought it, a loud roar caught her attention outside. She snapped her head up, seeing the blue hull of a peculiar-looking jet speeding into view. It slowed to a hovering halt about twenty feet above the water. One bubble-like cockpit opened upwards, and a figure leapt out of it, diving gracefully into the water below.

"Aqualad…" she muttered softly, eyes wide in awe. …wasn't his arm broken…?

And Beast Boy… Raven…

She shook her head, another explosion nearby bringing her back to her situation._ Focus, girl, focus! You have a job to do, remember?_ She turned back to her HIVE communicator, inspecting the beeping map. It showed Brother Blood's location as being in the room the path of red trailed from. She hesitated a moment, before stepping cautiously toward the room.

Though she knew what she would see when she rounded the doorway, she still felt a rush of unwarranted panic course through her chest at the sight of him. He was sprawled out on the floor, his red circuitry powered down, just a shadow on the floor. She stared at him a long moment, oddly breathless, then a flash of determination washed over her face. She lashed her fingers out, pink jets of energy slamming straight from them and into the cult leader on the floor, illuminating the room with a rosy brilliance for a short moment before falling into dim darkness once more. There was a loud thunk which echoed through the room. Jinx raised an eyebrow, glancing at her fingertips with a small frown of curiosity, and then shrugged. Knowing her bad luck, his power grid or motherboard just got knocked offline. He wouldn't be getting up again until someone fixed him…

In other words, she thought, as she heard more bits of the large building collapse from far away, he wouldn't be getting up at all, instead going down with the building. And that was just fine by her.

She suddenly gasped, feeling the floor beneath her jerk unsteadily. She stumbled to the side, gripping the frame of the door with rising panic. The entire building had grown unsteady… it was going to fall, with her inside!

"Wait. The jet!" she gasped, skipping carefully but quickly back to the hallway windows, praying that the plane was still there. She heaved a sigh of relief, seeing that it was – another bubble window on it had opened, a second figure leaning out of it, looking towards the water. Jinx stumbled towards the huge hole in the wall and threw both hands out through it, creating a stream of dancing pink energy waves, which shot past the ship and disappeared into the sky beyond. It caught the figure's attention. He looked up at the powerblasts, then towards her. She waved at him desperately.

Jinx gasped again as the floor lurched once more, gripping the broken edges of the wall with trembling fingers as the floor dropped a foot or so down. She was quickly growing anxious… time was running out… she looked back up frantically, and felt an incredible surge of relief as the jet began heading her way... She waited a moment as it neared, the building beginning to teeter a little more… The second cockpit window was still open, and Speedy beckoned to her from where he stood in the compartment, holding his bow with one hand, controlling the jet with the other.

_What, does he keep a spare one under his seat?_ thought Jinx coyly as she stepped back a few paces. She took a deep breath and ran as hard as her feet could carry her, leaping away from the building just as it began crumbling down. Speedy shot out an arrow attached to a long length of cable, and Jinx grabbed at the cord as the arrow went speeding past, just barely managing to get it in her grasp as she plummeted towards the crashing sea below. She cried out, wrapping the cord around her hands as she continued to freefall, and braced herself as it began to grow taut. It snapped straight, biting into her hands as it yanked her from gravity's grip. She gave a cry as the ship shot away, pulling her through the sky at a stomach-dropping speed. She kept her eyes shut tight, praying she didn't lose her grip… but after a moment, the ship slowed back to a hover, leaving her dangling below, eyes still closed tight.

There was a loud, tumultuous uproar of thunder behind her. Her eyes snapped open, and she swiveled around in time to see the whole huge old office building collapse in a loud crashing display of smoke, rock and flame. She stared in breathless awe, the realization dawning on her that if the ship had been only a few seconds longer, she would still be inside… She swallowed hard, looking up the rope towards the ship, feeling it pulling up on her hands. Speedy was staring over the edge of the roaring jet down at her, yanking on the rope to lift her upwards. She sighed, throwing all her nervous tension aside, and began climbing herself.

"Thanks for the lift!" she shouted at him over the sound of the engines as she reached him, his hand reaching out for hers and tugging her onto the top hull of the ship. "And…um… sorry about your nose…" she added sheepishly, a sudden pang of guilt hitting her without warning as she looked at his blood-stained face.

"Yeah… well… sorry I, er, looked up your skirt…" he muttered, looking away and rubbing the back of his head, a blush rising to his cheeks. Jinx felt her own cheeks grow incredibly red.

"Where are the others?" she asked after a moment, looking out over the water, towards where Aqualad had disappeared. "Beast Boy and Raven…?"

"Bumblebee took Starfire and Cyborg back to the tower in their ship. As for Raven and Beast Boy… I don't know…" Speedy paused a moment, his face growing solemn as he looked toward the water. "Raven's communicator signal – it's coming from down there… but Aqualad hasn't resurfaced yet…"

Jinx furrowed her eyebrows at the sea below, recalling the trail of blood in the hallway with a growing coldness passing over her. If Beast Boy and Raven had gone into the sea… they wouldn't have lasted long…

Suddenly, something appeared in the ocean below. "It's Aqualad!" she gasped, kneeling on the hull to get a better look.

"Hang on!" Speedy shouted. He had jumped into his cockpit, and suddenly threw it forward, Jinx crying out as she clutched to the wing edge for dear life as the jet descended closer to the water. She lifted her head as the ship began to slow down, and felt a rush of cold dread as Aqualad's form grew closer and clearer – he was holding up a communicator with the image of a dark bird embellished on the front. Raven's communicator.

"I just talked to a school of fish!" he announced as he jettisoned himself up to the top of the ship with a burst of water, landing awkwardly and clutching at his injured arm. "They said they saw an injured green-skinned whale. It was heading for the shallows – for the beach!"

"Get in!" Speedy called from his seat. Jinx hurried to the bubble windshield of another, kicking its release with her foot, desperate to get in before Speedy took off, not wanting to experience flying from the outside again. She situated herself in the seat as the window snapped closed again, her pink eyes looking down at all the displays and buttons with a low whistle of impression.

The jet shot forward, snapping her head back into the headrest of her seat with a whiplash of pain through her neck. She grimaced and kept her eyes closed, trying to overcome the G-forces flattening her body.

"Do you see them?!" asked Speedy's voice over the radio after a moment, the plane sweeping low over the beach.

"It's hard to see anything!" Jinx exclaimed, opening her eyes and leaning forward as best she could, pressing her face flat against the side of her windowpane. The sun had set below the horizon, washing the world with a coat of warm violet. She squinted, deciding that human beings were pathetic - if only she could zoom…

"Wait… THERE!"

Jinx snapped her head up at Aqualad's words, straining to be able to see out of his side of the ship. Speedy spun the ship around, bringing it down for landing, Jinx twisting her head around in her frantic attempt to see.

Speedy didn't even wait for the plane to completely touch down before opening the cover of his cockpit, the plane dropping painfully a foot or two to the sand.

"You call that a landing?!" Jinx gasped, snapping her own window up and stepping onto the hull as Speedy slid down and off its surface.

And then, she saw them… two dark forms sprawled out on the sand, barely visible in the diminishing light of the somber sky. The two Titan boys were already sprinting across sand, their footsteps kicking up little wisps of dust along the way, but Jinx found herself rooted where she stood.

"Oh, my god…" she whispered, staring down at the scene with her cat-like eyes wide with alarm as her eyes adjusted to the low light. She could see them, see everything, even from her distance… Raven… lying on her back atop the sand, as though gently set there… and Beast Boy… collapsed on his side beside her, a hand reached out and clutching her arm for dear life. They didn't move at all as Speedy and Aqualad approached, and a stabbing dagger of ice hit her chest as she realized something else… there was enough blood staining the sand of the beach that Jinx could see it from where she was…

She suddenly felt a longing for the old days, when she was a villain and hated all the people she cared for now… back then, this sight would never have hurt the way it hurt her now…

Speedy dropped to the sand beside them, leaning in to each of them in turn, straining to hear breaths over the sound of the ocean…

…and… she couldn't help but feel entirely responsible for all of this, even though she knew she had been manipulated and controlled…

Please… the young witch thought desperately, looking away with emotions building. She stared out towards the ocean, seeing the burning remains of the HIVE headquarters atop a far off cliff… the faces of the others flashed through her mind – Starfire's burnt, ruined form… Cyborg, chopped into pieces like a cow… the terrified look in Beast Boy's eyes just before the floor swallowed him whole… and Robin, the way she remembered him… the way she knew he most likely barely resembled now, with everything she had heard about the Joker's plot… She sat on the top of the ship weakly, feeling unable to breathe.

Please let them all be alright…

* * *

"'Put him to bed,' he says! Argh!" Harley spat angrily, struggling to drag the screaming hallucinating boy down the hallway. "Come on, ya little brat!"

Jay could barely hear her, though, completely lost in his own little world of fear and nightmares. He was screaming, mostly unintelligently, fighting her grip with all his might, eyes spinning in their sockets, looking at horrifying things that just weren't there. Harley lost her balance as he fell to the floor, a hand snapping to his head.

"NO!" he screeched with a raspy, strained voice. Harley struggled to turn over, but Jay had latched onto her ankle with a hand that was bloodied by the lacerations across his wrists, staring over at her with wide, terrified eyes. "NO! They're coming! They're coming!!"

"Goddamnit, Jay! Gerroff me!" Harley snapped, kicking at him with her other foot in complete frustration. Why the hell didn't Mister J. give him Scarecrow's fear inducer AFTER taking him to his cell?

His hold was relentless, his eyes snapping to something unseen behind him. Tears were washing down his cheeks.

"No! No!" he was shouting. His face turned back to her, staring straight at her, grabbing at her with his other hand. "No! Don't go! Don't go up there! They'll get you! They're going to take you away from me! Don't go!"

Harley stopped kicking, staring down at the boy with mouth agape. He… he was acting as though he was trying to protect her from something… he wasn't seeing her as Harley Quinn, but as someone else… someone from his own life, perhaps?

"Sweetie?" she asked, barely managing to remind herself not to refer to him as "Robin."

He dropped his head, his whole body trembling as his grip tightened around her foot. He mumbled something at the floor that she couldn't hear… then, suddenly, he shot onto his side, crashing into the wall, his hands swinging around him as he began to scream bloody murder again, trying to fight someone off.

"Oh, for the love of…" she groaned, pulling herself up back onto her feet, reaching down and gripping the boy by the back of his collar, dragging him kicking across the floor – she would say kicking and screaming, except that her grip on his shirt pulled it across his throat, strangling him as she tugged him along. They were almost there…

She finally dropped him beside the door of his cell, taking a moment to yank its release open and pull the heavy door open with a loud scraping wheeze. She looked down at his shaking, panting form, feeling a strange, rare sense of pity pass quickly through her like spoiled meat… she then saw the sleeves of his purple jacket, and the pity was immediately placed with irritation. _He got blood all over it!!_ she thought bitterly. _Now I gotta wash it…_

She wrapped her arms around him in a tight, violent embrace, picking him off the floor and shoving him clumsily into the room. He hit the floor with a cry, scrambling on it as though to escape from something. She grumbled curses as she fought with him again, struggling to take of his jacket. She finally had it removed, and she straightened, heading for the door.

"Sweet dreams, my little boy!" she said sweetly before scraping the door closed again, but not before seeing his wide, terrified eyes snap towards her with one last look of despair. She locked the door and leaned against it with a sigh, cradling the jacket in her arms. She winced a little, and rubbed her shoulder, where he had scratched her at some point… that was going to leave a mark.

She just stood there a long moment, staring at the far wall, a strange smile on her face as she thought about everything that had happened, and thinking of all the things she knew that would come… She held the little purple jacket before her, cocking her head to the side as she inspected the blood stains… You know… that Joker was really a genius… no one else could probably ever have broken Robin down the way he had… he was so smart. She was so proud to be allowed to work alongside him.

She hummed a little trill of a tune, swinging the jacket around as she began back down the hallway to her beloved. This whole fear toxin thing was brilliant, too! They would watch the boy through surveillance as he was lost in the terrors of his own mind… he was sure to give something away… and then, she thought gleefully, clutching the jacket to herself again with a giggle, they would have him. And they would have Batman.

That was another thing, she thought with a laugh. The Joker didn't want the answers so easily – it would ruin the fun! That's why he didn't want to hear Robin give Batman away so soon. They still had so much to do to the boy… She skipped a little as she continued on. She couldn't wait… Soon, she was going to be a mommy to a demented little Joker boy! And then, the Joker would love her forever, as the mother of his child… as the one who helped him create it…

Yes… she couldn't wait for what was to come…

* * *

Author's Note:

FORESHADOWING—Dun dun duuuuun! :P

I'm getting a lot of new readers, which is AWESOME! I'm really curious – if you read this thing straight through, from chapter 1 til now (or further), how long did it take you?? :P I just really want to know.

Other than that, review and so forth, and watch out for that fear toxin! It's not fun. ...But it's better than homework ;)


	35. Sandwiches

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 35:** Sandwiches

**Author's Note:**

Okay, I somewhat recall telling you guys it would not be taking me too terribly long to update, because I have, oh, well, a lot of stuff prewritten?

Well, then I kinda messed up…

I brought Jinx into the story, and I broke Aqualad's arm.

So, basically, 20+ pages of story, PRBT!! Right out the window! (Don't ask me what that sound was… it's appropriate, just trust me...). DEFENESTRATED!!! (is my favorite word) I was initially just going to go back into the story and rewrite and make it so Aqualad was, I dunno, bleeding profusely or something, but one, that's already overused in this story, and two, I have way too many people reading this for me to do that… so, I guess I'll have to live with my mistakes. So far, it has led to good, so I hope that happens again…

I also been juggling around pieces of the story, going crazy about whether or not to put these two parts together or those two, seeing what works flow-wise, whether or not I REALLY want to bring up all those wonderful parallels (in the end, I have).

BUT! I'm on my way to bringing you guys lots more full-blown intense angst-filled RotJ action! (Revenge of the Joker… XD I abbreviate, shuddup). I've been watching Justice League episodes all night, and I just gotta say "OMG-SPEEDY-WAS-TOTALLY-IN-IT-OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!! :D" Older Speedy is bitchin'… *coughs and looks aside* Not to say that Nightwing isn't bitchin'....

Anywho, love you guys, sorry bout the delay, LET THE SHOW GO ON!!!

* * *

The Joker sat back in his easy chair atop the metal balcony of the main operation room, the balcony which had been decorated with a skimpy living room setup, just one lone segment of the staged home they had built in the large room. A clipboard was clenched in one of his hands, a pencil tapping his chin with the other. He peered at the television before him, the same he had just used with Robin, back in place as part of the living room scene. He scowled a little, turning his left ear towards the screen, struggling to make out any words through the boy's babbling mania… he was speaking so soft that the Joker could barely hear him, even with the volume turned up to maximum.

"Have you found out anything, yet, Puddin'?" Harley called from the simulated kitchen below. She was standing before the table, spreading mayonnaise onto a slice of bread, two plates before her bearing incomplete, but nevertheless impressive, deli sandwiches.

"Silence, woman," the Joker spat angrily, irritated that he had been unable to hear the boy for a moment. He bit the eraser of the pencil with his canines, forehead furrowing as he read the words scrawled messily on the clipboard before him. He had been sitting here already for a few hours, yet he had only made out a few good words or phrases… he had heard something about falling… someone dying… he screamed for his parents… so they were dead… that was definitely something to look into… deaths in Gotham sometime in the past 10 or so years… He had heard him screaming for his friends, the other Teen Titans… especially Raven… so she had been helping him… and he had made out the name "Slade," which did him no good – he knew who that was… and, then, probably the most bitter, obnoxious one, simply the word "Batman."

_That insolent little bird brat, _the Joker thought crossly, scratching his greasy green hair with the dull pencil tip. _It's just like with the truth serum… he knows better than to fall for this trick, even in his state…_

…_but his parents…_

_There's still a little hope… falling…? Does that have something to do with them?_

The Joker focused his gaze back on the screen, suddenly aware that things had suddenly gone too quiet (save for Harley, calling up to him asking him if he wanted mustard or not). He leaned forward, sucking on one lip. The boy had fallen completely silent. The clown prince sat back and felt down into the cushion beside him, snapping up the remote and pressing a button. His eyebrows raised a moment in mild interest as the sensors in the boy's shock collar indicated his heart had stopped. He muttered a little to himself as he trailed a finger over the buttons, knowing full well which was the one he wanted. He simply loved the play-along. He finally tripped the button he was looking for, and Robin's body leapt and jerked as electricity poured into him, knocking his heart back into rhythm.

_Funny… _the Joker thought contemplatively, glancing at his pocket watch. _I would have expected him to hold out a lot longer than this... guess his body's a little worse off than I'd realized… or maybe…_

"Here you go, Pumkin!" Harley cooed sweetly, setting down the sandwich on the end table beside the clown's easy chair. The Joker didn't acknowledge her right away, still completely lost in thought.

"Hey… Poo?" he asked after a moment, scratching his chin. "That stuff that we got from the Scarecrow. Do you recall if we were supposed to dilute it with water or something?"

Harley pouted as she plopped herself down on the arm of his easy chair. She surveyed her sandwich thoughtfully. "Um, I'm not sure. It was kinda hard to understand his instructions with him laughing the way he was." She smiled wickedly, knowingly, giving a little giggle before taking a large, unattractive bite out of her sandwich. The Joker chuckled, recalling that day. What a fun day.

"Well, looks like we may have given our boy too strong a dose," he carried on, tugging his coat open and pulling out a capped syringe containing the antitoxin. "Harley, be a dear and give the boy his other medicine? His heart's stopped once already, and we certainly don't want him dying on us now, do we?"

"Uh! What?!" Harley pouted in protest, looking at her sandwich. "But, but, can't I just—?" The Joker snatched the plate from her and thrust the syringe into her hands, no further words spoken. Harley sighed in resignation and stood up, muttering under her breath as she stomped down the stairs.

"And give him a kiss goodnight for me, too, would you, Snookums?" Joker called after her as she went through the kitchen setup. She waved a hand, as though saying "Yeah, yeah, got it," before stepping through the far doors towards the boy's jail cell.

The Joker turned his attention back to the television, his arms crossing and his smile becoming a scowl once more while he stared at the panting, shaking, nearly unconscious boy on the screen before him. He wasn't talking, still in shock from his heart stalling like that, though through the way he jerked on the floor, it was clear that the hallucinations were still hitting him hard. The villain glanced down at the clipboard once more, a bit irritated. _That impudent little brat…_ he thought to himself bitterly._ He won't be giving me Batman's name this time…_ His mind began humming, cogs working themselves through in his mind as he continued watching, chewing on his lip pensively. _His body's broken, his spirit's broken… and I suppose his heart probably is, too… but his mind isn't… it will take a bit more to get him where I want him to be…_

The Clown Prince of Crime rubbed his hands together slowly, still thinking, a delinquent smile cracking his lips very slowly.

_I suppose… I may have to go the whole nine yards…_

His lips stretched wider in excitement. He had hoped he would have to.

He saw Harley's split-colored costume appear in the television, and then, something dawned on him. He glanced up at the cuckoo clock on the wall, then swung his arm around, pulling up his sleeve and checking the clock, as though to confirm it.

"Oh, goodie!" he chirruped, clapping his hands together in excitement. "It's time for the news!" He swung the remote and flipped the channel. The black and white security screen suddenly flashed to the sight of an older red-headed woman wearing far too much makeup.

"—ory tonight on GCN News Tonight, a violent explosion in Steel City has demolished what was revealed to be the headquarters of a youth terrorist organization known as the HIVE Academy. Mike Engal has the story."

"Thanks Diane." A stern, stocky man with bug eyes and little neck to speak of stood before a smoky pile of debris, illuminated by strong lights, with police force going every which-way behind him, fire fighters trying to smother the smoldering wreckage with hoses. "I am standing here in front of what used to be 1450 Alta Vista Drive, an old psychiatric research facility that had been abandoned years ago here in Steel City, USA. But tonight, a strange series of explosions tore much of the building to shreds. Police arrived on the scene twenty minutes before the building collapsed, when the entire HIVE Academy student population came filing out in unison, many of whom were promptly taken down and arrested on previous warrant charges."

"Wait a minute…" the Joker muttered, leaning forward. They were showing clips of the incident, showing the building after the explosions had hit… it was standing. True, half of it was missing, holes and fire and smoke everywhere, and it did eventually collapse -- spectacularly, he had to admit -- but after the explosions hit, it was still standing…

That's not right… he had put enough explosions in that to take down a mountain… NO ONE should have made it out of there alive… if the HIVE kids made it… that probably meant… the Titans…

"NO!" he spat, slamming his fist down on the chair and snapping the remote to his face, so close it was grazing the tip of his nose as he glared down at the button responsible for the detonation. Something had to have gone wrong here… the wiring? No, they all should have gone off. He began pressing the detonation button with wild fervor.

All of a sudden, screams erupted from the televisions speakers, the camera jolting backwards as plumes of fire and smoke burst forth from the wreckage of the building. The Joker gave a whoop of delight as people tried to dart away as fire engulfed many of them.

"No matter how they may have messed up, I still love explosions!" he said with a punch to the air. But he was still thinking full blown about the failed ignitions…

…and… were the Titans still alive…?

He growled. Blood failed. He was sure of it. And his bombs had failed.

"Want a job done right, yadda yadda," he muttered, wiping his hands along his face. What a disaster… he wanted those brats out of the picture – thanks to that Raven girl, they knew too much… it was only a matter of time before they figured out where to look…

His mind flashed back to the image of her, a streak of red piercing straight through her stomach… a smile crossed his lips once more. Well… maybe with _her _out of the picture… he knew it was the best idea for them to take her out first….

He got to his feet, stretching his arms out towards the ceiling, straightening out the cricks in his back from sitting so long.

If any of the Titans had survived, they probably had their hands full… dealing with grief from the dead, all that jazz… but nevertheless, they were stubborn little buggers. He had to get to work, soon.

_Damnit, this was so much easier when it was just the Batfart… _he thought with a sigh, before taking a look at the sandwich Harley made. He sniffed it, then popped away with a hand to his nose, his face contorted in disgust. _And… I think I'll go ahead and starve tonight...  
_

* * *

"Top story tonight on GCN News Tonight, a violent explosion in Steel City has demolished what was revealed to be the headquarters of a youth terrorist organization known as the HIVE Academy. Mike Engal has the story."

"I made you a sandwich…" a deep voice said. Hawkgirl turned her head, seeing Green Lantern's strong build stepping over to her, clutching two plates before him bearing sandwiches. She managed a small smile and nod as she took the plate he offered her, then jolted her head towards the television.

"Take a look at this, John…"

"Where is this?" he asked, eyebrows narrowed. "Is somebody on it?"

She shook her head. "Steel City. It's the Teen Titans territory…"

They watched a moment as sequences of a building collapsing played out. They saw a bunch of little villains led away in handcuffs, but there was no sign of the young teenaged superhero team anywhere.

"Wasn't there just a huge explosion in Jump not too long ago?" he asked, sitting on the couch beside her. "Must be related."

"You think it might be something to check in on them about?"

The Green Lantern raised an eyebrow in her direction. "You know they hate it when we do that. If it were something they couldn't handle, they'd let us know."

"Like they did when the devil destroyed the Earth?"

"Well—"

"Or when the Brotherhood of Evil began targeting practically every young teenager with superpowers on the planet?"

"I—"

"Or—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," he snapped, a little more angrily than he had intended. "Look, they may be young, but they're superheroes, and they've already proven time and again that they can handle themselves. We get into trouble just as badly as they do. I've lost track of how many times I've almost died. And nearly all of us have been there – young teenagers with strange abilities, trying to learn to control our powers and do what is right. Whatever they're up against right now, I'm sure it's nothing they can't handle. After all, they pretty much, literally, have been to hell and back."

"I suppose you're right…" Hawkgirl finally sighed.

"Besides, it's Kung Fu movie night," he added with a sly smile, and a wink. "We're not on duty now, and we're missing some awesome cheesy martial arts action!"

Hawkgirl smiled at him, and changed the channel, the smoky ruins turning into the poorly-lipsynced faces of Chinese martial artists. She took a bite of her sandwich, a small shiver going down her spine. It was a little cold in there…

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I dunno why. I just like sammiches right now. :P

I suppose you're all going to kill me for not saying ANYTHING about the Titans. Or much about Robin. Awww, pobrecitos! Never fear! The next chapter is soon to come!

AND OMG THE JUSTICE LEAGUE!! O.O So, not as well-versed in JLA as I am with the TT. I used to know them pretty well, but I have an AWFUL memory… so yeah. :P If I screw up personalities, I'm sorry. DEAL WITH IT!!!

R&R!!!

**P.S.!**You know… one of you awesome reviewers deserves to have this chapter dedicated to you for making me want to include the JLA earlier than I intended… but I honestly have forgotten who it was. XD Maybe you know who you are? I dunno... Prove you deserve it, and I'll dedicate the next chapter to you :P


	36. Back to the Basics

**Teen Titans: RotJ :P**

**Chapter 36:** Back To The Basics

**Author's Note:** Okay, as the title states, it's time for some good ol'fashioned dual-storyline basic stuff right here! …well… sorta… had to give some certain minority Titans a bit of the spotlight! :D ARRIBA!!

Ooooh, bee-tee-dubs, did you guys see all the parallels in the last chapter??? What? SANDWICHES? Noooo. :P Starfire and Robin. Their hearts stop beating in time… or something… NO I'M NOT A SHIPPER WHACHU TALKIN BOUT WILLIS!! x_X It's canon. Go defenestrate yourself.

Anywhos, onwards and upwards!

---

The hospital wing was never intended to hold so many people at once…

Well… they never thought they could get beaten so bad with just one team, let alone two…

The chaos was a little too much to watch, Menos decided. He sat nestled in the corner of the large room with his twin brother, Mas, who lay sprawled out on top of a set of couch cushions placed on the floor, the few hospital beds they had needed for those in far worse condition. Although Mas was in terrible pain, his broken legs bound tight in makeshift splints, it was clear to both of them that he was the lucky one, as they helplessly watched the others tend to those who were less fortunate – the entire West Coast Titan team…

Bumblebee sat nearest to them, on the floor, Cyborg's dismantled body strewn around her like an enormous jigsaw puzzle that she had to piece together bit by bit. Every time she lifted her welding mask, Menos caught a glimpse of the ashen, haunted expression on her face, and he understood her terror. For all they knew, Cyborg could be fixed, but the question remained whether he would be Cyborg, or if he would be little more than the robots they had fought earlier… where did the robot end, and the human begin…?

In a bed just beside them lay Starfire, tended to by Jinx. She was possibly in the worst shape of any of them. Just from the look of her burnt, blistering skin gave that impression, but in all reality, it was her internal organs they were all most concerned about… There were already clear signs of damage to a number of them, particularly her heart and lungs. A tube was now breathing for her, and monitors showed her heart rate was not what it should be… basically, they were forcing her to stay alive… There was little else Jinx could do on her own now, except apply ointment to Starfire's once-beautiful skin and bandage it up.

In the next two beds were Beast Boy and Raven, respectfully. Both of them were hooked up to life support, screens monitoring heart rate and brain activity, intravenous cords stuck into their veins to replenish the large volumes of blood each of them had lost. Aqualad was bent over Beast Boy, his own forearm set into a makeshift splint to allow him to help. He had stitched up the boy's head, and some of the worst lacerations in his back, and was now working on bandaging things up in order to get him to the CAT scan machine to check for any problems that could have been caused by his concussion. Speedy was tending to Raven, stitching up her stomach. He had discovered, to the elated disbelief of all, that none of her vital organs had been damaged by Blood's attack.

"So, she'll be okay then?*" Menos asked from where he was sitting. Mas groaned beside him, eyes closed, half-asleep in a pain killer–induced stupor. (* = this is Menos' point-of-view, so we get to understand what he's saying).

Speedy looked over at him with a slightly puzzled expression, trying to decipher his words. "Her brain signature is relatively low," he muttered after a moment, rolling Raven to her side so he could get to her back, pulling bloody gauze away from her open wound in order to stitch her up. "But with luck, she will definitely—"

A loud screeching interrupting him, and every last conscious person in the room snapped their head up to look at the monitors. Speedy spun to look at Raven's, but it wasn't hers that was sounding the alarm.

"He's seizing!" Aqualad shouted, his dark eyes widening in terror as he quickly pulled Beast Boy on his side, the green changeling flopping around on the bed as all his muscles began jerking uncontrollably.

Bumblebee had dropped what she was doing with Cyborg, throwing her welding equipment aside and sprinting over to them. Menos scrambled to his own feet in horror, running to join them, heart running cold as he watched the bed shaking from Beast Boy's violent spasms.

"That's not good, that's not good!" Bumblebee gasped frantically as she began throwing drawers open, searching for something. "Lorazepam! Fuck, where is it?!"

Aqualad was desperately fighting to keep Beast Boy on his side as Menos ducked under the bed to emerge beside Bumblebee, ripping cupboards open looking. He began pulling out bottles and vials, looking at the names. Lorazepam, she had said?

"Here!" he gasped, holding a vial over to Bumblebee, who immediately snapped it up and stabbed a needle into it. She rushed to Beast Boy's side and immediately jabbed the syringe into a vein, releasing the drug into his system.

"Come on, Beast Boy!" Jinx gasped, standing on the other side of them, watching with wide terrified eyes.

After a moment, Beast Boy's movements fell still, the high-pitched siren going silent, replaced with the normal sounds of heart rate. They all looked at one another, and Bumblebee gave the longest sigh imaginable as she set the needle down. She looked absolutely shaken.

"He needs a head scan…" she said after a moment, looking over at Aqualad and Speedy. "He needs one now."

"Get back to Cyborg," Aqualad said to Bumblebee, putting his good hand on her shoulder. "We've got this…"

Bumblebee nodded and stepped back to the dismantled robot as Speedy and Aqualad began getting Beast Boy ready to be wheeled into the next room, where all the fancy equipment roomed.

And then another alarm went off, the room flashing red, the telltale signal of trouble in the city.

"FUCK YOU!" Bumblebee shouted at the blaring alarm, throwing her tools down again and clutching her head in total and complete frustration. Menos watched her with wide eyes. The stress was overwhelming her… he never thought he would ever see her like this…

Speedy had waved Aqualad forward frantically, the injured boy having some trouble pushing Beast Boy away, but managed to do it. The archer to the rest of them. "It's okay! Stay here, Bumblebee! Menos, watch over Raven and Starfire, okay? Jinx, come with me. We're going to take care of this."

Jinx nodded, silent with stunned shock, her catlike eyes stretched wide. She took a last look around at the hospital wing before hurrying forward, tailing Speedy as he rushed from the room.

"This is so not good…" Menos gasped, his fingers fidgeting together as he looked around at everyone who remained in the room, injured or not. "This is really, really not good…"

---

For a long time, it seemed like nothing was real anymore... he couldn't tell where hallucinations ended, and reality began...

...his mind and body were breaking apart... everything was a fog of fear and pain...

...at some point, he saw a pair of eyes above him... sparkling blue...

"Mom?" he asked softly, that familiar feeling coursing through him.

"That's right, sweetheart... take your medicine, go to sleep now..."

...something pricked his arm a little... like a pinch...

… then… nothing… nothing but sweet, blissful darkness….

Until now.

…everything was still a haze... he still remembered those blue eyes... but it must have been another hallucination... she was dead...

...dead...

...they had died...

...his soul broke open in terrible agony as he remembered... it wasn't a nightmare... that had actually happened...

…why couldn't all of this have been one terribly long dream…? Then… they wouldn't… be…

…they weren't… they couldn't be…

Oh, but they are, Jay… they are… you know they are…

It was just him and his mind in this room… that terrible voice speaking louder than ever, the scent of its laughter permeating all the cells of his mind… how could it possibly be able to laugh and speak at the same time…? so perfectly…?

…and that thing of flesh and bone connected to his shattered mind… his body… was that what it was? …was it still his body…? It simply didn't seem to want to respond whatsoever… but he still felt its pain… and nothing but pain… it was everywhere… it was the whole world…

Staring straight up… one lone red light… his only physical companion… his bittersweet enemy…

…maybe that's who the voice in his head belonged to… that red light…

…a bit odd, don't you think…? At least guys like John Nash imagined _people_ when they hallucinated… not a talking red LED light bulb…

Time drew out painfully, like nails scratching along all the world's chalkboards in order… just him and his mind… voices and faces flashing through it, terrible flashbacks, just as vivid and terrifying as what he saw during the fear toxin… except this time, it was his own mind plaguing him, not some venom…

they're dead… they're dead they're dead they're dead…

no… they aren't… stop… please stop saying that…

they're deeeaaaaaad… and they're never coming back… and it's all your fault…

laughter rolling… terrible, cold, all the way down til it plunged its claws deep into his heart… or what remained of it…

…all his fault…

…it was… it really was….

…if he hadn't been so stubborn… it… wouldn't have come to this… they wouldn't have…

Are you sorry about it, Jay? asked the red dot. He could see it now, clear as ever, even when he closed his eyes… on it went… are you sad that they're gone? If you're so sad, why don't you cry? Cry, Jay, cry.

…he wished he could… he wanted to… and in a sense, he was… he was sobbing, crying, _screaming_, within the hollow emptiness that had been his heart… but his body… when was the last time any water had been put into it…? he could tell it was failing on him… his chest was a fireball of excruciating pain, as though something had slammed hard into his ribcage with a tremendous amount of speed, trying to knock his lungs and heart out past his shoulderblades…

…in all honesty… he was surprised the toxin hadn't killed him…

…in all honesty… he wished it had…

…they were gone… so much of him wanted to hope that they weren't… that they had somehow survived… that Starfire's terrible injuries could be healed… that Cyborg could be put back together… well… put back together, and still be Cyborg… that Raven could somehow survive the organ damage that was sure to have resulted from…

If he could cry, he would… if he could scream, he would… his very soul was bleeding, writhing, desperate to be free of all of this… if the world would just let him die… he would without hesitation…

But no… that's not going to be happening, is it Jay…

…was that the security light speaking, or himself…?

…Jay… the name was growing so familiar now…

…he wasn't even sure why they called him Jay…

…but… it didn't matter…. Jay… Robin… Dick… it didn't matter… nothing mattered….

…except…

…at least… there's still someone… he thought numbly, with the tiniest flicker of hope in the darkness of his being… there… there was still a chance…

…no there's not, that voice tried to tell him…

…yes… there is…

…Bruce…

…the Titans may not have been able to save him… but Bruce would… he had before…

…there's still… a chance…

…but did Bruce even know…?

…or… really… would he even care, Jay…?

…shut up… please, just shut up…

---

**The Author Talks Too Much  
**

Is it obvious to you now? Oh god, it's so obvious isn't it? *covers face with hands* I watch far too much House, M.D.!! So much so that I had to change the name from the brand name "Ativan" to it's generic name, just so it's not SO crazy obvious how much House I watch….

Cough, anyways…. wish I could say the next chapter will be up as quickly, but it wont be. Need to figure out how the next series of events take place... I'll try not to make it too long, mkay? I love you guys! You're amazing for reading all this, and enjoying the ride along with me. Review!! I love me some reviews!!


	37. Progress

**TT: RotJ**

**Chapter 37: **Progress

**A/N:**

Okay, so, I lied. I was inspired, I wrote all this up in the last four hours. Well, the last two parts - the first part has existed for a few months now.

Oh, and just a heads up, I made one minor itsy bitsy edit on the last chapter. I was going through my documents and found something titled "Random Fanfic Stuff" that had random things I wrote down so I wouldn't forget, and found something I TOTALLY forgot about and really needed to include, so I did. If you notice something different at the beginning of Robin's part, kudos! If you notice no difference, you didn't miss anything. :)

Also, all of us here at the RotJ offices want to send out our sympathies and well wishes to Mr. Jack Box, the clown CEO of Jack in the Box. In case you didn't hear, he got hit by a bus on February 1st and remains in critical condition at the hospital. While I'm not a fan of the food, I'm a huge Jack fan... *sniffles* Hang in there, buddy... I... I can't bear to see any clown die... *sniffles again*

(The Jack in the Box people are advertising GENIUSES, omg....)

Anyways, back to the story...

* * *

She lost track of the hours that she had spent bent over his broken mechanical body… the sore, aching sensation in her back, coupled with the itchy tiredness of her eyes, told her that much of the night had passed with her crouched there… All the others had been bandaged, stitched, made bones set, injuries tended to…. Speedy and Jinx had responded to the call – more explosions at ground zero of the HIVE building – and had returned long ago, after administering some damage control. So much time gone, but still, Cyborg was not fixed.

Every moment that passed made it all the more painful for Bumblebee… she felt like an hourglass was close to emptying all its sand, that time was going to be up… that she would be too late…

"Come on, Sparky…" she moaned, rearranging the wires in his neck. Several times now she thought she had fixed him, but nothing had happened when she tried to reboot his system. Her eyes threatened to start watering once more, her breathing failing her from time to time. The other Titans had gathered around her, sitting and watching helplessly as she struggled to save the large Titan.

_Knew I should have kept a copy of his blueprints…_ she thought sullenly. She thought of that disc that she had given him so long ago, containing everything she needed to know to fix him… god, why did she do that? She could only remember so much…

Someone had brought up the idea of getting their hands on Gizmo… he was a whiz at technology like this… he would be able to help… he probably would be able to fix him… but looking into it, they found that he was one of the HIVE members who had escaped arrest…

The Titans East leader whipped out her wire cutters and began disconnecting wires again, forehead furrowed in intense concentration. She fumbled between the wires, pairing them up differently, following where they came from to where they were going, to try and decide which ones went together. She connected them back together, her heart pounding in her ears as she reached for his back, for his power button.

"Please, Cyborg," she whispered softly, pressing the button and holding her breath.

"Señor Cyborg…" muttered Menos, eyes wide with concern. Jinx, who had been biting her nails, pulled them away as she watched. Speedy and Aqualad looked up from their mancala game, which they had started playing while at a loss for anything better to do with their nervous tension.

There was a quick flash of blue light, and everyone straightened, suddenly alert, watching Cyborg intently. The light had vanished quickly. Bumblebee leaned in towards his neck, noticing a connection not complete, and quickly reconnected them.

Blue light flashed again, and this time, it stayed. Bumblebee unbent herself, staring down at him, all breath lost from her. She gripped her hands together as she watched him, as they all watched him.

And his eyes opened.

"Oh my god," Bumblebee gasped, unable to believe it. She bent over him. "Cyborg – Sparky, can you hear me? Do you know who I am? Is everything working okay?" She was speaking quickly, frantically, eyes unimaginably wide.

Cyborg looked over at her, eyes darting a little as he watched her. He glanced away a moment, in thought.

"Yeah," he said finally. "I… I think so…" He began reaching to rub his neck, but Bumblebee caught his hand.

"I haven't welded you shut yet," she said simply, tears coming to her eyes. "I needed to make sure… it's really you in there…"

"I'm… pretty sure it is…" he muttered weakly, eyes flickering back over to her. A rush of worry came over his face. "The others," he asked. "Raven… Starfire… Beast Boy… are they all okay?"

Tears were running down Bumblebee's cheeks now. It was him. He was okay. He was alive. She had fixed him. She brushed a hand lightly on his shoulder, a knot forming in her throat, keeping her from being able to answer.

"They're all pretty hurt," Speedy spoke up, getting to his feet and coming to kneel beside them. The rest of the Titans had inched closer as well. Cyborg's eye glanced sidways toward him, unable to move his head.

"How badly?"

No one spoke a moment, glancing around at one another.

"Very…" Aqualad finally answered. "Raven is pretty bad, but looks like she may pull through… Starfire is on full life support... and Beast Boy has suffered some pretty bad head trauma… we won't know til he's awake whether or not… " his voice died away, but he didn't need to finish.

"Tape up my head," Cyborg instructed urgently, grabbing at Bumblebee's arm. "I can run a quick diagnostics to make sure everything's running properly, fix whatever needs to be fixed… and then… I want to help my friends…"

* * *

"Wake up, Jay."

The voice snapped him so violently from sleep that it hurt. He gave a weak cry, eyes snapping open only to be immediately burned by bright light. He sputtered, wanting to throw his arms over his face, but his body wouldn't respond. He was so weak.

"No, no, don't move. Shush-ush-ush…" the voice continued… it was soft, pleasant, almost caring. A hand patted his arm. His eyes were adjusting to the sudden onslaught of light, and he peered through heavy, stinging lids. He could see the blurry face of the Joker hovering over him. A jolt of panic raced through his sore chest, spasming through his body, igniting all the aches and pains he had forgotten.

"Looks like it's just you and me today, Jay, my boy," the Joker said gently. He was sitting at Robin's side, on the floor, looking down upon him like a new father looking over his sleeping child. Robin looked into those eyes, struck dumb by how gentle and calm they looked… where was the insanity… the malice…? The Joker smiled lightly, a hand still on Robin's shoulder. "Mommy went out on some errands. We'll see her in a day or two."

Mom…

…Robin saw blue eyes in his mind eye…

…she's dead, remember…?

"Don't worry, son. I'll be taking good care of you…"

The warning sirens were going off in Robin's head, but there was nothing he could do. His drained, dying body refused to respond to his screaming brain. He could only watch helplessly as the Joker turned from him, grabbing something from his other side. What would it be? A wrench? A knife? Another dose of hallucinogens or laughing toxin?

But the Joker came back around, holding a bottle of water. He frowned at Robin's horrified face, as though puzzled by his reaction.

"Come now… you need to be drinking more water…"

The Joker had bent over, slipping an arm under Robin's shoulder, forcing him up into a sitting position. Robin's arms twitched feebly, wanting to push the villain away, but couldn't move. It had to be poisoned… more truth serum… some kind of poison… he was going to kill him… lure him into false security and kill him…

…do it… I dare you to do it… _do it…_

…he wished he could tell whether it was his own inner monologue saying that, or the dialogue of that new voice in his head…

"Upsy-daisy, Jay…" the Joker said with a grunt, allowing the boy to lean against him, his head cradled against the Joker's purple-clad shoulder. Confusion was sweeping through him, disorienting him like he was in the middle of a tornado. Was this another hallucination…? Some strange dream…? Was the Joker capable of being able to even feign kindness…? The bottle was brought to his cracked, infected lips, water overflowing before he was ready, dribbling over his chin and onto his chest, soaking his shirt with its cold embrace. Some splashed into his mouth, and he immediately gulped it down, nearly coughing as he did so… there was no strange taste… no burning sensation of poison… perhaps, it really was water… and tasting it again, after two weeks of deprivation, was the most amazing feeling he had ever experienced…

The Joker sat there with him for a long time, helping him to slowly drink the whole bottle. By the time he sucked it dry, causing the bottle to crackle as its plastic form crushed inward, he already felt a little stronger.

"Attaboy, Jay-Jay," the Joker crooned proudly, pulling the bottle from his lips. Robin panted a little, having forgotten to breathe in favor of becoming hydrated again. The Joker kept him propped up against his shoulder, a long, awkward moment passing in silence. Jay—Robin—could feel the villain's breath on his face, could smell him… it was unpleasant, but had grown familiar…

…this isn't good… this really isn't good… he thought somewhere in the back of his brain…

…but he had to admit… this was better than getting electrocuted…

…just have to hold out… until Bruce finds me…

…I can make it…

* * *

The light from the long-arisen sun fell across the room through the large plate glass window on the far end of the room, its radiance blocked by huge pieces of equipment, casting shadows across the floor while keeping time to the heartbeats of the wounded, the sound of respirators and sensors creating a constant din in the room. Cyborg sat on a chair on the opposite end of the room, bent over his lap with elbows braced against his knees, his hands rubbing over the two very different surfaces of his face.

The past six hours had been, without a doubt, the longest six hours of his life.

He felt so alone, sitting there. The others had all gone off to bed long ago, Bumblebee the last of all, helping Cyborg become at least basically functional before giving into the grip of sleep at around dawn. There were pieces of him still missing, circuitry that shouldn't be bare missing their covers, a finger or two missing, as well as the front of his right foot… and his left leg wasn't working at all… but all that didn't really matter to him now… he was alive, and that was the important thing…

But really, the knowledge that he nearly died was the last thing on his mind… He sighed, his heart breaking once again as he listened to the three mismatched patterns of heartbeats that filled the room. All he could think about was the uncertain fates of all four of his teammates.

If I were to lose any of them… I don't know what I'd do…

He got unsteadily to his feet, his foots falling unevenly as he limped forward, using a broom handle to keep himself upright. Though broken, he couldn't allow himself to sit for long… he had to make trips around the room, checking on all of them in turn, wishing with all his heart that he could be in all three places at once… it hurt so badly to look down at all of them, each one fighting for their lives… Starfire's beautiful golden face hidden behind layers of burnt skin and bandages, her ruined body only kept alive through the wonders of technology (the irony of thinking that not escaping him as his vision went to static for a quick moment). Then Beast Boy… his best friend… suffering a skull fracture and a bleeding brain… for all they knew, he might never wake up… and if he did, there was a good chance his brain might be permanently damaged…

…oh, please god no…

He ended up at Raven's bed, staring down at her for a long time, a sigh escaping him as he watched. She looked so much more pale than usual, lying flat on the bed with bandages around her torso… The mere fact that she was touching the bed worried him. It meant she was completely unconscious, and not in a hovering healing trance like she would ordinarily fall into… But still… compared to the other two… she was the closest to pulling through…

He dropped weakly into a chair perched by her bed, mentally unable to stand anymore, clutching onto the broom handle to prevent himself from falling over. Everything was getting to him now… god, he was so alone…

"Please Raven," he said softly, under his breath, looking at her pallid face. "Please wake up… I need you… god, I just need one of you to be okay with me… I don't want to be the only one left standing…" Tears were streaming from his one human eye, emotions boiling over for the first time during his long wake. "Please… please, God… don't let me be the only one…"

* * *

**Author's Note**

Read and review… can't really say much more than that…


	38. The Light

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the (Amazingly Wonderful) Joker**

**Chapter 38: **The Light…

**Author's Note:**

"The light… the light… is in my eyes!" *throws hands over eyes*

And that's all I have to say…

* * *

The Joker held the boy in his arms still, humming a tuneless lullaby while staring down into the teenager's sleeping, maniacally grinning face. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen… it brought a smile to his own face, and a warm feeling to his heart to see the young boy looking so… Jokerish…

It was all thanks to a new form of his toxin, turned into an odorless, tasteless powder. It was less damaging than anything else he had ever used before, suitable for the boy's terribly frail state. When administered, it immediately put its victim to sleep, and though safe enough not to kill the boy, it would still cause irreparable damage. When the boy woke up, he would be unable to stop smiling…

Of course, past doses of stronger solutions should have caused the same thing… but now that that girl was out of the picture…

The clown-like villain set the boy on the floor of his cell and got to his feet, a matching smile curling his own lips.

"Just a few more days til your birthday party, my little Joker…" he crooned, interlocking his fingers and swinging them up towards his chest in a playful, melodramatic display of affection. He blew the young boy a kiss, and then stepped from the room, closing the door behind him, still humming that nameless tune as he turned down the hallway.

A couple steps forward, and he stopped a moment, glancing over his shoulder, to the shadows in the far end of the corridor, as though checking to make sure there was no one there. He curled his lip up, a sour expression crossing his face. He almost felt like someone was watching him. Finally, he shrugged with a small chuckle. _You've been in the crime business too long, Joker, old pal,_ he thought lighthearted, as he continued walking on. _But paranoia just doesn't suit you – Batman doesn't suspect a thing… he wouldn't be here now…_ He chuckled once more and clicked his heels, strolling on down the hallway, whistling "Just the Two of Us" in time with his footsteps as he went.

* * *

It was well after noon when Bumblebee came walking back into the hospital ward, carrying a tray covered in food. She looked exhausted, but tried desperately to hide it as she looked around at the room. Her eyes matched gazes with Menos, who was sitting on the edge of the mattress that lay on the floor, relocated from a guest room for Mas to rest on. He waved at her, a small, gap-toothed smile flashing for a moment.

"Here," she said in a quiet voice, not wanting to wake his brother up as she sat the tray gently down beside him. "There's enough here for both of you, when wakes up."

"Gracias, mi abejita…" Menos said softly with a grateful smile, immediately picking up a piece of toast. Bumblebee smiled down at him. He and his brother had begun calling her "mi abejita," or "my little bee" quite awhile ago, when they decided that Bumblebee's ability to shrink to the size of an insect meant they were bigger than her. She hated it at first, but quickly grew to enjoy the little term of endearment.

She straightened, rubbing her sore shoulder as she looked around the room, at each of the occupied hospital beds in turn. She frowned as she took in the sight once more, of the injured teenagers with every piece of technology available keeping them alive.

"Hey, Bee. Bring any breakfast for me?"

Bumblebee turned. She hadn't noticed Cyborg sitting there by Raven, camouflaged against the intricate machinery that surrounded her. He looked over at her with a slight smirk, but it looked a little forced, especially contrasted against the fatigued look on the human half of his face.

"Ah, I didn't… figured you'd be in standby…" she admitted apologetically, looking back over at Menos, who already held out a bowl of Cheerios to give him, stating in Spanish that Mas didn't like Cheerios anyway. Bumblebee took the bowl and stirred it a little with its spoon absentmindedly as she began to walk across the room. "So, how you holding up, Sparky?" she asked as she got closer.

Cyborg watched her as she approached him, forcing a wry smile as he raised his right arm. Bumblebee's footsteps faltered a moment as she realized – he was holding his left one up by the middle finger, its shoulder dangling down to the floor, sparks zapping from it.

"I'm sure you didn't mean literally, but… yeah… not holding up so well. You gotta get better at welding, girl." He gave a small chuckle in an attempt to make light of the moment, but his effort fell short.

Bumblebee pouted a little in defense. "I am a good welder," she muttered, a little peeved. "I just…"

"Nah, I know," said Cyborg, laying the arm on his lap and reaching out to grab the cereal bowl from her as she approached him. "It's not like my arm is the most important part of me… There were other things you needed to take care of… and you did good. I… I owe you big time…"

She blushed a little as she nodded, thinking back to the previous night… to that feeling she had had, when she believed he wouldn't be fixed… she swallowed and looked up at him, so grateful he was okay. But as she looked at him now, some circuitry exposed, arm detached, other pieces of him missing, she felt her heart fall.

…but he was alive…

She shifted a little where she stood, looking over at the nearest bed, at Raven. She looked as pale as ever, special pumps breathing for her. Bumblebee glanced back to Cyborg, who had put the cereal bowl in his severed hand and was slurping up huge spoonfuls of the milky cereal.

"How are you holding up?" she asked again softly, putting an inflection on her words to signify that she meant beyond his physical state. Cyborg swallowed down his mouthful of breakfast and sighed.

"I'm hanging in there…" he murmured softly, a sad look crossing his face. "As well as I can, anyways… but damnit… I can't help but be worried that…" His voice faded away, and he refused to look at her, eyes fixed on the bowl in his lap. He blinked a few times, turning his head further away from her, as though hiding his face from her. Bumblebee sighed softly and placed a hand on his shoulder, not knowing what else to do. She understood his pain, but could not imagine even losing _one _member of her team, let alone face the prospect of losing _all_ of them… The thought send a terrible wave of sadness crashing through her, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Cyborg's neck…

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered softly.

Cyborg didn't say anything, just absorbed quietly in her hug…

Menos had set down his food and got to his feet, looking down at his brother, and then at the other two Titans. He just felt like he needed to do something… He stepped quietly over to the nearest bed, to Starfire, crawling up on a chair and looking down at her.

"Que…?" he suddenly whispered, eyes widening down at her.

Bumblebee pulled away from Cyborg, and he looked over at her, a sparkle of emotion in his eye. He swallowed, looking away a little awkwardly, then back at her. "Bee, I…"

"Mi Abejita! Señor Cyborg!!!" The young Titan's voice broke through the somber moment, the two of them straightening as Menos' face appeared around the curtain by Starfire's bed, waving at them frantically. If she had been holding anything in her hands, Bumblebee would have dropped it, fear coursing through her thoroughly. Was something wrong? Had something happened?

Cyborg did drop everything on his lap, the bowl shattering as his whole dismembered arm crashed down, milk and cereal cascading across the floor. He had slapped his remaining hand on the back of the chair, trying to push himself up, but the combination of one his legs malfunctioning and his arm missing made it impossible.

"Help me up!" Cyborg gasped, reaching out to Bumblebee, who grunted loudly as she pulled him up to his feet, helping him limp over with his single arm draped over her shoulder. As they approached the bed, Menos back on the chair looking down on the girl there, their breaths stopped simultaneously as they saw, surrounded by the thick layers of bandages and breathing tubes, a pair of brilliant green eyes.

"Star…?" Cyborg whispered, completely breathless. It seemed to take a moment for it all to register, and he suddenly snapped out of it. "Starfire!"

The mechanical teen pulled his arm from around Bumblebee's neck, but thanks to his dysfunctional leg, immediately lost his balance, falling forward with a cry. Bumblebee gasped and threw her arms out to try and stop him, but missed, and he crashed violently to the ground, knocking Menos and his chair over sideways.

"Oh, Cyborg," Bumblebee stammered, laughter taking her over as she smacked a hand to her forehead. She sighed and looked past her wrist to Starfire, who had a similar expression in her eyes, shaking her head a little, as though thinking "What a klutz."

Two Titans awake… things were looking a little better…

…_Bee…_ she told herself, sadness taking over her once more as she bent to help Cyborg back to his feet. _2 out of 5 isn't good odds…_

* * *

Something was wrong… something was really, really wrong…

…the whole world felt strange… It seemed to jar around him, bucking the room around like he was on a ship out at sea… and there was that voice… it had grown even more pronounced, beginning to override the voices that were supposed to be there… and it was laughing…

…and he realized… he was laughing, too….

His hands snapped to his face, before he was even fully awake, pressing his fingers into his stinging cheeks. They were hard and taut, searing with sore pain from his frozen muscles. Air rushed through his smiling lips with increasingly rapid succession, panic gripping him as understanding took very, almost blindingly quick hold. Oh god, no… smiling… I'm smiling… laughing…

…no, no, god no…

His long fingernails dug into his white cheeks, as though trying to make them stop pulling so violently his lips like they were. His eyes watered and burned, and he kept them closed tight as the laughter built upon itself. Panic and despair gripped him with full force. A trick. A dirty trick. Again. There was no escape… oh god, no, the toxin… No no, this wasn't happening…

His eyes had snapped wide open, and at first, he was unsure what prompted them to. He was staring at the wall, it sliding in and out of focus as he watched it. His exhausted, dull brain took far too long to process what his eyes were seeing. Light. He could see light, cool, brilliant, blinding, illuminating the familiar concrete walls of his cell… except for one noticeable part – in the middle of it, right before him, loomed a tremendous silhouette of a figure. It passed across the floor, draping over him where he lay, colliding into the wall before him before stretching upwards, all the way up, so the head of the shadow bent back precariously on the ceiling. He watched it with wide, burning eyes, breathing still sharp and heavy, his fingernails still biting painfully into his swollen cheeks.

…_Bruce…_?

…no… it couldn't be…

…it has to be another hallucination…

But he kept staring, and nothing happened. In his hallucinations, things happened… but this was far too static to be a hallucination… at least not the kind he was used to… he swallowed hard, as best as he could with the wide-stretched smile on his face, laughs coming out in irregular intervals now. His eyes traveled up the great shadow, his body turning with him as they swept over the ceiling – the red light was off… the red light was off??... His gaze continued, grazing over the top line of the doorjam, light blazingly bright underneath it… and then his gaze slid home, on a dark, backlit figure matching the shadow that stretched across the room…

And as his eyes adjusted, they widened.

"Expecting someone else?" Slade asked in a soft, cold rumble.

Even the laughter stopped, he was stunned so senseless by the sight before him. His head twisted ever so slightly from side to side, terrible disbelief clutching him fully.

…this has to be another hallucination… that ever diminishing voice of reasoning and understanding cried. …it has to be…

The apparition of Slade stepped into the room, still casting a deep shadow down on him as he approached. The laughter had begun again, Robin flailing backwards towards the wall as the villain approached. He looked so real… everything looked so real, so much more so than any hallucination he had had before…

…but, how much different is it from that time before…?

…_I am the thing that keeps you up at night…_

…it couldn't really be him…

He had slid back as far as he could, his back pressed flat against the wall with his feet kicking in front of him, as though to push the specter away. His laughter had erupted again in his stark panic, acting the role of hyperventilated breathing. But Slade, hallucination or otherwise, did not seem at all deterred by the boy's violent thrashing. He stood just before him, staring him down, single eye peering down at him with great intensity.

And remained like that, for a long. Robin watched him with wide, crazed eyes, his kicking ceasing as time wore on, growing increasingly weak and overrun by shock. And all this man did was watch him.

… "Robin…" he finally said at last, staring down at him.

Robin's eyebrows raised, halfway between horror and bewilderment…. There was a strange something in that familiar voice… a strange inflection… something in its delivery that felt… different…

…and he also realized how foreign that name had begun to sound…

That eye, surrounded by that mask of his nightmares, continued to watch him. It narrowed a little, as though… as though in disappointment…?

"Look at you…" the villain muttered darkly, that steely gaze passing over the boy that lay before him – face the color of snow, blue eyes bloodshot, wide in crazed fear… hair, overgrown and disheveled… muscles wasted, body thin and weak, noticeable even beneath the purple suit he was wearing… and that mouth, which was stretched far wider than a mouth ever should, displaying a terrible smile made up of so very few teeth, making it seem all the more menacing and disturbing…

…a miniature Joker…

The eye suddenly snapped wide open, and there was a quick sweep of movement, and the next thing he knew, Robin was off the floor, pressed up against the wall by the color of his shirt, his feet far from the floor, staring, maniacally grinning, down at the masked villain before him.

…just a hallucination… only in my mind… he told himself frantically, feeling the tightness across his back and chest from the hold on his shirt.

"JUST LOOK AT YOU!" Slade's familiar voice spat angrily, pressing tighter against Robin's chest, crushing his lungs, making the laughter all the more painful. "Look what he's done to you!"

"Stop…" Robin gasped, the pressure growing even stronger, sliding up from his chest and pressing on his neck a bit, causing his face to swell painfully. He grappled weakly at the arms that were pinning him to the wall. "Slade… please…"

…he didn't know what he was saying that for… was it the fact that he was slowly strangling him… or was it the sound of disappointment in his voice…?

…this is definitely a hallucination…

Slade watched him for a long moment… they watched each other for a long moment, the laughter paralyzed by Slade's grip… just frozen, smiling, terrified stare down at a faceless mask… time passed slowly… strange shapes and colors began to spring into his vision, distorting Slade's face.

Finally, the masked villain shook his head, glancing down, away from Robin's dreadful stare.

"I came here with half a mind to rescue you… But…" The man's voice was so low, Robin barely could hear him… but he heard him... Slade's single eye flicked back up to him, chin raising as he went on. "But there is no point…"

Robin blinked, hands tightening a little around the other's wrists. A cold sensation swept over him, those words slamming home someplace deep inside. …no point…?

Gravity gripped him a little, and he slid down the wall a little before being pressed right back against it, Slade's built form leaning close, their faces suddenly a mere inch apart, that one eye staring directly into his.

"You're barely Robin anymore…."

Robin shook his head, his already mutilated heart cracking once again. How could those words, coming from that voice, hurt so much…? Gravity grabbed him fully now, and he slammed to the floor, gasping for breath through a combination of laughter and sobs.

"Robin would not let himself be kidnapped by the likes of _him_!" A sudden explosion of pain rocketed through Robin's side, as Slade's foot slammed hard into him. "Robin would _not_ allow his friends to _suffer and die!_"

…stop… stop please… no more…

Fingers wrapped themselves around the long, tangled strands of dark hair on his scalp, wrenching his head painfully upwards. "There is no Raven anymore to heal you from the toxin…" he growled in a deep, dangerous tone. "There is no returning from your terrible state… your body is destroyed… your mind is shattered… even if you were to be rescued… there is little chance of you ever being Robin again… Robin… my greatest nemesis… my former apprentice… is essentially dead…"

A snap of his wrist sent the boy's head jerking backwards sharply, sending daggers of pain shooting through his neck. He cried out, more from the force of the words than from the pain of his body. He gasped for breath with his eyes clutched tight…. No… no it can't be true…

…but… it is…

He was sobbing as he watched the figure, the hallucination... his own memory… his old obsession… getting to his feet, turning his back… walking away…

…he was walking away…

He screamed a barking laugh as the door slid closed.

…oh god… he was crazy… he was out of his fucking mind... even his hallucinations had given up on him...

...my name is Jay... and I am becoming the Joker's son...

* * *

**A/N vol. 38b**

You know, I'm being nice to you guys. I was totally going to just cut it off with Slade's "Expecting Someone Else?" line, and pulling that whole "HAHA! You thought it was Batman but it's Slade and now you're REALLY gonna hate me!" trick. But then I thought better of it. It wouldn't have worked as well cutting that part in two… although now this chapter is really long… SQUEE!!!!

Anyways, enjoy, REVIEW! And all that swing… next chapter is in the works. :D I'm on a roll. Don't you like my rolls? (Don't you hate my stagnations in between? -_- Me too…)


	39. When Villains Want To Scare Each Other

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 39:** When Super-Villains Want to Scare Each Other, They Tell Joker Stories

(I know, long chapter title. But it's fitting)

**Author's Note:** SOOO sorry about my sucky update time. :( A whole month. You all must hate me. I'll explain a little more after this chapter about why I haven't updated… Sorry if this chapter isn't the best…

* * *

"Well, well… Slade, isn't it…?"

Slade turned his head from the door that now separated him from the screaming, hysterical boy, his one eye quickly falling upon the source of the voice. There in the hallway, blocking his path out, stood the Joker. He had his back pressed up against the wall, his arms crossed and head bowed, as though he had been waiting there the whole time.

"I see you've heard of me." Slade muttered with mild interest, eyebrow rising behind his mask as he surveyed the clown before him.

"The boy screams of you often in his sleep." The Joker waved his hand dismissively, as though it were obvious.

Slade looked the clown up and down, feeling a twinge of irritation. This stupidly-dressed hack couldn't possibly be the terrible villain he had heard so much about…. "You really don't seem surprised to see me…"

"Not one bit…" The Joker gave a small smile. He kicked a foot back to propel himself away from the wall, turning to stand square in the hallway, facing him. He began strolling forward, toward Slade, a bounce in every step. A strange grin was twitching across his white face as he watched the other with his yellow stare. "Knew you'd show up sooner or later. After all, I kidnapped your little pet away from you."

"Yes you did…" the masked villain stated in his deep rumble of a voice, his lone eye narrowing. His voice was calm, but the irritation he had felt before suddenly grew to a spark of anger as he stared at that ghostly pale face. "I know it was nothing personal, though," he went on coolly. "You want information on Batman, so you kidnapped Robin, the one closest to him."

"Was that why I did it? I really just thought it was all in good sport."

The spark of anger suddenly engulfed him, and Slade's hand had suddenly snapped out without conscious decision, grabbing the Joker by the neck and slamming him up against the wall. The Joker was taken off guard, a gasp escaping him as his back collided with the concrete surface. His eyes had widened, his gloved fingers grappled at the plating around Slade's wrists… but his lips had curled back into a terrible sneer… Slade stared up into that face, with that same white, stunned, maniacally smiling expression… those terrible sunken eyes…

Robin…

…it was déjà vu, all over again, staring into that face.

"However…" Slade hissed dangerously, eye narrowing into a slit. "Turning Robin into a mini-Joker… _that_ was something personal…"

"You're just sore that I was able to do it and you—ERK!" Slade pulled the Joker back and slammed him back against the wall.

"It didn't have to be this way." Slade's voice was still calm, his anger and hatred masked. "There were alternatives, countless ways of figuring out the secrets behind the Batman. I could tell you myself, if you wanted."

"You know Batman's deepest secrets?" the Joker asked with his lungs strained for air, mildly interested, an eyebrow cocked.

"It wasn't too hard to figure out," he answered bluntly, a small smile concealed behind his mask. He found out much during his research on his old apprentice… "I am surprised you don't know, as obsessed as you are about Batman…" Slade was glad that the Joker couldn't see the conniving little smile behind his mask. He was trying to offend the Joker, taunt him, make him want the information even more…

The Joker looked contemplatively a moment, even as his air supply began to grow thin. Then, his chest began shuddering, and Slade's eye widened as he realized… he was laughing… His grip lessened just enough to allow the Joker to speak between cackles of glee. "I see what you're trying to do, Sladey-boy… but you know what? Keep your spoilers to yourself. I want to figure it all out myself, and I don't need you to ruin my fun."

Slade growled in anger, and suddenly swung himself around, hurling the Joker over his shoulder, sending him skipping down the hallway. The Joker slid to a stop, and got easily to his hands and knees, chuckling to himself.

"Aw, Sladey. I can understand why you're so upset. No one likes to lose their favorite toy. And this one, in particular, is quite fun!"

Slade was trudging forward, hands clenched into fists. A part of his mind told him to stop, to just walk away… but he really could not let this go. The Joker got to his feet and merely stood there as the other approached, waiting. They were sizing each other up… or maybe that was just on Slade's end… the expression in the Joker's eye looked more like he was evaluating Slade's fashion taste or something to that extent.

"I should kill you," Slade hissed angrily, merely feet away. The Joker again seemed unsurprised, almost bored by his declaration… a strange sensation ran up Slade's back as he stared into those eyes…

"I get that a lot," the Joker chuckled offhandedly, looking down at his fingernails nonchalantly. "But you aren't going to."

There was a slight hesitation in Slade's advance, the masked criminal almost taken aback by the Joker's certainty. "What makes you so sure?"

"Oh, come now, Sladey. Finders keepers, losers weepers! I nabbed Robin fair and square. You lost your chance. You told the boy that yourself. So I know that you're not going to kill me, because that would be the same as saving him…"

Slade's eyes narrowed angrily at the pale-faced man before him… so he had been there the whole time, listening… Slade surveyed him once more, nearly scoffing… the stupid purple suit… hislanky, weak form… he looked so pathetic… Some villain…

…and yet…

…there was something about him...

"In that sense, you're right. I'm not going to kill you. Not now anyway." Slade said finally, very slowly. "However, this is a warning for you – if you kill Robin, I will kill you. He's mine to finish, understand?"

"How very homoerotic of you…" the Joker said softly with a wry, crooked grin.

"I could go ahead and kill you now," Slade whispered dangerously, snapping out his bo staff, that urge rising with every second.

"Funny…" said the Joker, still smiling mischievously at the staff in Slade's hand. He seemed undaunted by Slade's reaction, stepping forward without the slightest care. And, oddly enough, Slade had the instinct to step back, away from him. It took all his willpower not to. He stared the clown down as he approached. The Joker kept his gaze down, still smiling. Finally, he reached Slade, and lifted his head slowly, a dangerous flash to his eyes. "So could I!"

The Joker moved to attack Slade, but Slade stepped easily back, his staff swinging forward. But then stars snapped to his eyes as the Joker faked him out, dropping to the floor and swinging both his feet upwards with all his weight on his arms, his feet slamming home right up between Slade's legs. The masked villain gave a gasp, stumbling backwards, caught off-guard more than anything. He quickly recovered, but the Joker was much spryer than he had anticipated. There was a flash of steel from the corner of his eye, and the next thing Slade knew, something slammed into the dark side of his mask, cutting clear through the black material and piercing the empty place that had once been his right eye, slicing into the skin and muscle there. He cried out despite himself, jerking away from the blade, feeling it slide away and blood pouring from where it had penetrated.

"Now…" said the Joker darkly as Slade stumbled to one knee, gripping a hand to his face as blood poured forth. "I promise I'll leave a little bit of your Robby-poo for you to finish. But only if you go. Now. If not, I will kill both of you."

"You can't kill me, and you wont kill him…" Slade growled, getting to his feet, clenching his free hand into a fist. "He's too important to you."

"And he's even more important to you." Slade lifted his head, and saw that the Joker had in his hand a remote control, a thumb rested against a button. A horrible coldness swept over him… something told him that button would harm, or most likely kill, the boy that was inside the cell beside them…. He growled, looking up at the Gotham villain as he went on. "Just as you got your information from elsewhere, I can as well. I can easily go on without Robin, find another source of fun. But you… well. If you hope to be able to fight Robin another day, I suggest you leave. Now."

Slade got slowly to his feet, his hand still clasped to his injury as his lone eye bore down on the Joker before him. Everything in that maniacally cheerful face told him he was serious. Slade took a breath and released it… there were few fights he had walked away from… and he hated that this had to be one of them.

"I'm watching you…" he muttered darkly.

"Damnit, Slade!" the clown snapped with a stomp of his foot. Slade blinked at him blankly, as the Joker whooped with laughter, clasping a hand to his face. "You should have said it! It would have been the BEST punchline EVER if you had! 'I'll be keeping an eye on you!' Oh you just can't plan moments like that, pal!"

Slade swung his staff up suddenly with his one hand, and it connected with the underside of the Joker's chin. The Joker reeled backwards with a cry as Slade shot forward. The Joker quickly recovered, easily sidestepped him and swung an arm around, his hand connecting with the small of Slade's back. Something happened, a moment of intense, unbelievable pain. Slade found himself on the floor, feeling as though his chest had ruptured, aftershocks of lightning criss-crossing his bodysuit from all the short-circuited electronics that it consisted of. _Damnit…_ Slade's momentarily stunned mind thought slowly. _…Taser…_

"There, there, Slade. Don't be such a sore little loser," the Joker said softly, holding up his lethal joy buzzer defensively as Slade began pushing himself back to his feet. "Robin is mine now, fair and square. And I took down the Titans for you – you should be happy!"

Slade struggled for breath "No. You didn't," he managed to say, his lungs and chest still not quite working right after being briefly paralyzed.

The Joker's face went rigid, his smile slowly fading. "What d'you mean?"

Slade smiled behind his mask. "They're alive. For the most part. I made sure of that."

That terrible face went dark, an angry flash of understanding coursing through his gaze as he understood…

"You…" he growled dangerously.

"It's amazing what electromagnetic pulses can do these days…" Slade murmured, still smiling, waving a hand.

"You!" the Joker spat again, stepping forward. "You stopped my bombs! You let them get away!"

"And you took Robin. Let's call it even… but just remember what I told you…"

The Joker spat a string of curses and moved to attack Slade again, but Slade snapped a few smoke bombs from his belt, crashing them down on the ground. The Joker swaggered backwards, a hand clasped to his face as the putrid smell overwhelmed him, as Slade turned and walked out of the hallway, knowing the Joker wouldn't follow. He pressed a hand back to his bleeding eye, thinking bitterly about the whole event.

…_incredible… he was able to harm me… no wonder he was able to take down Robin…_

He supposed it was true, what they said about him….

And he almost felt sorry for Robin… but, it was his own fault for falling for such a stupid trap…

…there would be no escape for him… that much was certain.

"Good-bye, Robin," Slade murmured to the empty air as he leapt from a window of the old building and running out of sight.

* * *

The Joker coughed and gagged, waving the smoke away. By the time it cleared, Slade had disappeared. The Joker kicked the ground angrily, unable to believe he hadn't ended him for good. He felt angrier than he had in a long time – the Titans were alive, and thus, still a threat, and now someone knew where Robin was. Slade should have been killed… to tie up the loose ends… and what about the Titans…

The Joker pouted his lip out in deep thought. Then, an idea struck him, and he snapped his fingers. If he had been a cartoon, he noted, there would have been a lightbulb above his head.

He knew just the thing to keep those little brats distracted… and to give him some more time with the little brat of his own…

* * *

Someone had left the door open….

…he was free!...

Robin clamored through the darkened passages of the abandoned building, his enemy in hot pursuit. He had no weapons, he was injured, he had to get away. He staggered as he ran, keeping his focus ahead of him, sprinting as hard as his battered body would allow. He was near the exit… he was almost free…

He leapt out through the doors, and into the woods that surrounded the villain's stronghold. There were shouts, but he continued on, hope filling him.

"Yes!" he cried happily. "I have escaped! I am victorious--!"

----Boop!----

BBFan415: omg, newb! Robin so does talk like that! How ooc can you be??

RobinRox:Seriously, dude! Haven't you ever watched him on the news at all? Or seen that "Superhero Spotlight" episode about him? You're so off!

Control Freak's face went a terrible shade of purple as anger flooded him. He immediately clicked a link to reply to his fellow roleplayers, grumbling swears to the computer screen as he typed:

ControlFreakRulez:HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! I have actually MET Robin IN THE FLESH! I know him better than ANY of you dimwitted pieces of bantha fodder!!!

StarGirl:Yeah, right, loser. Go be lame somewhere else.

WasabiDragon: PwNeD1! U gOt ToLD!

Control Freak's face looked like it was about to explode as he began to furiously type back another seething response. Halfway from finishing his message, a pop-up window appeared from his taskbar, telling him he had new mail. He paused, staring at it, and with an angry sigh, clicked the window, plopping his squishy chin into the palm of his hand as he waited for his email browser to load.

"To the all-powerful Control Freak" the subject of the email said. Control Freak sat up quickly in mild surprise, and then rubbed his hands together with a ravenous face. Finally, someone saw him as he was – a villain to be reckoned with. He clicked to open the message, and his well-practiced eyes zipped quickly over the type there.

"_Control Freak,_

_I have been a fan of yours a long time, and I have some news for you, and the other villains of this city._

_The Titans are no longer a threat to your rise of power_" – there was a link here, and he quickly clicked it. It linked to a youtube video, and Control Freak's eyes widened as he watched the Titans, both East and West sectors, be taken down by the HIVE and Brother Blood. He licked his lips excitedly and returned to the email. – "_Now is the chance for you and the other enemies of the Titans to take advantage of their absence, and be evil to your heart's content! _

_Sincerely yours,_

_The Joker_."

Control Freak's eyes widened, and his jaw practically dropped to his lap. The Joker? THE Joker? There was no possible way… someone was pulling his leg there… But the video… He watched it again, closely. It appeared real enough. The email was no scam, even if the sender was lying about his identity. Now that he thought of it, as he sat back in his computer chair, the Titans hadn't been seen in a few days, ever since that building exploded downtown. He remembered hearing that Dr. Light had gotten away with a robbery just the day before… could it really be??

He giggled like a little schoolgirl as he switched internet windows, going onto a special forum for his fellow Jump City villains.

"Titans are missing!" he typed feverishly into his new topic thread, still cackling to himself. He made sure to link to the video before writing out his message. "Jump City is up for grabs!! I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting in on this action! We already know that the cops are massive fail! You are all welcomed to join me (if you're not in jail)." He hit the "post" button and swiveled around in his chair, standing up unsteadily and pulling his cloak around his neck. He grabbed his trademark remote from his special R2-D2 storage unit, struggled to put his boots on, and then waddled excitedly out the door, his mind trying to decide which Best Buy to hit up first.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys! I know it's been awhile since I've updated… I hit another factual snag with the story that is making me kick myself so hard in the head that I don't want to write… and… I also, erm… have been… a little distracted… XD

Control Freak's roleplaying geekiness is no random occurrence, since after all, they say "write what you know." And… yeah… a few weeks ago, I got sucked into a Titans roleplay myself! (You'll never guess who I play! :D I'll give you a hint. His name starts with an "R", ends with an "obin," and he's kinda the most fun thing EVER to torture!! :P). You guys probably should hate me, because right now I'm roleplaying, not writing (but the roleplaying is helping my writing! I swear!) It's just a nice change of pace... though it's sort of consuming my life… *glances at laundry that hasn't been done in weeks*

BUT!! _We desperately need more people_, so I thought I'd extend invitation out to you awesome readers!! **COME JOIN THE AWESOME TEEN TITANS RPG!!** :D You'd get to RP with ME, and how fun would that be?? XD You could be a Titan or a HIVE member, and the only characters really taken are Robin, Starfire, Terra, Raven, Kid Flash and Jinx. We are all, for the most part, pretty good at playing in character, and it's such a blast. (omg, the storylines are SOOO INTENSE!!! :D) If anyone is interested in checking it out, let me know, and I'll forward you the link! (I don't want random people showing up there and messing the board up with spam, or else I'd just post the link XD)

I promise I'll try to start updating more often… I still need to get past this snag, and then *knock on wood* everything should run a little smoother…

Read and Review, as always! I luv you guys!!


	40. No More

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 40:** No More…

(ho-lee crap-- 40 chapters?!?!?!)

**Author's Note:**

Okay, so, tons of people are asking about Batman and the Justice League… "Where is he?" "How do they not notice?" "Robin can haz Batman, plz?!?!"

…and… I kindly advise you guys to, you know, knock it off. XD Cuz everyone is doing it, and it's not helping…

I'm at a hard point right now, because a lot of stuff is going on in the story that I need to sort through… it's been hard and it's why I haven't been updating as frequently… I'm trying my best to make this all work… to make it believable… we WILL see Batman, and the Justice League… just not quite yet… just, trust me, okay guys? I think I'll pull it all off okay… :( It's just everytime someone asks, it kinda shoots an arrow into my confidence, and the LAST thing you guys need is for me to lose confidence in this story, or I'll NEVER FINISH IT!!! And I don't want that! ;_; So be niiiice!!

I found a boost of motivation today, though! And I have spring break coming up, so maybe I can churn out a large chunk of the story during it! So here's a short filler chapter for you, and another one is just about ready to go, too.

----

He'd left the boy to cool down, and by cool down, he meant simper in his own pity for awhile. Really, the Joker thought to himself, leaning back in his armchair, he should be thanking Slade for paying them a visit – he'd spent several incredibly pleasant hours watching Robin over his security camera, relishing in the sound of the boy's screaming laughter, watching his starved, white figure clawing at the door. It invoked the image of a forgotten cat trying to get into the house it'd once lived in, starving for food and attention. After three hours had passed, Jay's voice, body and mind had given up, and he'd collapsed on the floor by the door, unconscious, eyes wide with his mouth still stretched in a wild sneer. The boy looked terrifying, Joker thought proudly, staring the the screen with a little giggle.

Yes… Slade had done wonders… brought a whole different level of pain for the boy… _Perhaps,_ the Joker thought, fiddling a small red ball in his fingers as his mind wandered, _the only thing worse than losing your friends is losing the enemy who had some kind of weird fetish with you…no wonder Batman has such a hard time killing me, _his brain added with a laugh. He stood up, throwing the little red ball up in the air and catching it again. No… the Joker told himself, staring at a walkie-talkie standing upright above the television with a downright sadistic grin splitting his lips, his yellow . No… that was not the worst thing… not to Robin… he knew better…

He sat back in his chair, taking out a blue ball, juggling the two balls in the air together as he thought to himself a bit more. He thought of Harley... she was off gathering the last that they needed to make this work… She would be home later tonight, granted that she didn't get caught. He wasn't too concerned though – a massive explosion at a nearby oil refinery this morning was keeping the cops and media busy. Who would notice what she was up to until it was too late to stop her, or track her down? Especially while Batguano was out of town. In fact, the Joker knew, through some snooping through communications between Gotham police and the Justice League, that Batman hadn't even stepped foot on Earth in three weeks, off on a mission with some of the rest of the Justice League to another galaxy or dimension. It was without that murky bat breath breathing down his neck - or Robin's – that he and Harley managed to get away with this so far… how he was going to get away with it fully…

But the Titans…

No, he didn't have to worry about that. When he'd taken the time to send Control Freak that email, he'd also taken the time to go snooping through their security system. It was greatly reassuring, making Slade's intervention at the HIVE headquarters just a minor nuisance that could be forgotten. Pretty much the entire West team was out of commission, and the East team wasn't faring well taking care of the invalids. That bug girl had already tried numerous times to contact the Justice League, but the communication block that clever little Gizmo had installed was still fully functional, even if the HIVE was not. It was only a matter of time, though, til the girl figured out another way to get through to them… but no matter, he thought to himself, glancing at the cuckoo clock on the wall… they'd catch wind of Jump City soon enough, if they hadn't already…

He got to his feet, stretching his arms up to the sky with a loud yawn. After rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck a few times, he snatched up a diaper bag from the ground beside him, and went whistling off to go say hi to his little boy, fighting desperately to hold back the fit of maniacal cackling that threatened his chest.

This was the greatest fun he'd ever had… but he knew the party was just beginning….

* * *

The world did not feel real anymore…

There was no way it could be...

...it was nothing but a nightmare… one big hallucination….

It did not feel at all like reality as he heard the familiar scrape of the door opening, didn't feel like reality when he found himself thrown onto his back. A voice spoke, talking gibberish, though he was sure it should have been English, and even his vision seemed dysfunctional as he watched a pair of white gloved hands tugging his wrists together and binding them tightly before him with a length of rope. Gravity seemed to shift in different directions, like an M. C. Escher drawing, as he was hoisted to his feet, those white gloves gripping the long dangling end of his rope bindings, yanking him along like he was on a leash. He immediately stumbled to the floor, which earned him a swift kick in his already battered ribs.

_No more pain… no more… please…_ he thought desperately, his cheeks searing with pain as somehow, his permanent smile widened at the pain. _Just... no more_...

He heard that voice again... one he knew too well... it was sliding in and out of his realm of understanding, fading into gibberish, nothingness, like a poorly tuned radio had replaced his eardrums

"....along, Jay........playtime........listen to Daddy…"

…Jay…

...My name is Jay and I'm...

...Joker's son…

…but that wasn't his name…

…it was something else... like... Robin…

….right?...

…he wasn't sure what that name really meant to him anymore… he even wasn't really sure what that one-eyed facemask meant to him anymore, the one that still showed so clearly in his mind's eye… everything in his head was jumbled up and confused, and his heart felt like someone had locked it up and thrown away the key… but that was fine… he didn't care… it was better than hurting… he didn't want to hurt anymore…

Stumbling down the hallway, trying his best to keep his balance.

He could remember a few things, he decided...

...he remembered Bruce...

...where was he...?

...No more pain….

Led to a different room. It felt like farther away than they'd ever taken him before… he had to go up some stairs… a terrible hell, as he'd lost his footing twice and his captor simply released his rope, allowing him to cascade painfully all the way to the bottom. Laughter rang each time, insults thrown, and the poor, disoriented boy was hoisted once more to his feet…finally up the stairs… they felt like they were upside down…

…Escher was a sick man…

"Go ahead and take a seat, Jay-Jay!"

No movement… none to sit… he shouldn't sit down… not after being hurt everytime he fell…

...besides... Jay wasn't his name...

Electricity bolted through him… shock collar… he'd forgotten… he screamed and writhed on the floor.

"I said sit, Jay. Just on the floor is fine… Sit up."

It took him a little bit to coordinate his tired, broken body into a sitting position, but he did it. The world seemed to spin as he looked toward the Joker… but he couldn't look directly at him… he couldn't…

...his cheeks hurt...

...he hated smiling...

There were toys spread out before him, on the floor… a ball, a block, a doll, a car, a toy gun… he looked down at them with his head drooping to one side… he felt confused, but he quickly extinguished the thought… he just didn't want to think… best not to wonder… about anything…

…Joker's son…

"It's okay, Jay," the Joker said, in a strangely soothing voice. "We're going to play a nice easy game. Daddy Says. Mkay?"

The teen didn't respond, just staring at the toys with the poisoned grin carved into his face.

"Right, let's start. Super simple, you can't possibly screw this up. All you have to do is hand me the red ball…"

Staring down at the toys, eyeing the red ball…

…what was this about….?

…no, no… stop wondering… just play, Jay… just play… no pain if you play…

There was no arguing with that, but he couldn't bring himself to lift his hands, still bound tightly before him, and reach for the ball to hand it over.

And his hesitating brought another crippling wave of agony crashing through him.

"Come on, Jay. So simple. Just pick it up and hand it to me. Kick it over here. Just follow my orders, and I wont hurt you!"

…_he's trying to control me… brainwash me…_

…it's better than the pain, isn't it? Are you going to get yourself killed over a blue ball, Jay?

…_no…that's stupid…._

…then just play along… play along and nothing bad will happen…

Play along…

The Joker actually helped him sit back up, and returned to his place. "Red ball," he proclaimed in a sing-song voice, twiddling his supinated fingers, as though beckoning for the ball to leap into his hand by itself.

…just play along…

The teen reached out and grabbed the ball, and set it clumsily into the Joker's outstretched hand.

"Bravo!" the Joker whooped, chucking the ball over his shoulder, making it bounce across the floor and into the wall, where it burst into a brilliant explosion of confetti and streamers. "Now, hand me… the doll."

The boy didn't hesitate at all this time, clumsily clapping the doll between his bound hands and tossing it into the Joker's. The Joker pulled the dolls cord, and it sang a creepy little lullaby… one that sounded so familiar…

…hush little baby….

…_mom…_

He remembered a mother… remember bits and pieces about his life with her, so long ago… like he'd read it out of a storybook… but all he could picture were a set of brilliant blue eyes… and a white, painted face…

…handing over the toy car…

…he didn't care…

…not caring meant nothing had to hurt anymore…

…and everything was going to be okay….

* * *

No one was improving…

Starfire was awake, sure… but her bloodstream currently contained so many painkillers that she might as well have been asleep… when she spoke, it was mostly nonsense… and it was often about Robin…

"When did Robin buy us these pretty curtains?" was one of the more memorable, as she pointed to the hospital curtains that separated her from Beast Boy.

In her state, he didn't have the heart to tell her how poorly her fellow teammates were doing...

...and they weren't doing well...

Cyborg sighed from where he sat, using a screwdriver on his arm, bolting a plate of circuitry back into place. He'd slowly begun to repair himself, for a lack of anything better to do. It kept himself occupied… kept him from thinking about them…

…no one was getting better…

Beast Boy and Raven were still in a coma… Cyborg was unsure who was worse off. He'd once believed Beast Boy was, with his seizure and skull fracture… but when Cyborg had gone to check on Raven a few hours before… he swallowed hard as he remembered, his jaw set painfully tight as he forced his bottled-up emotions down. …Raven was essentially braindead right now… she'd be completely gone, if it weren't for the machines and tubes conducting her heartbeat and breathing for her… Speedy had screwed up… there was more damage than they had anticipated, and during the night, more than one organ had failed outright…

…why wasn't she healing yet… why wasn't she healing herself? …Raven, where are you…?

…and still no sign of Robin…

Cyborg set the screwdriver on his lap and pressed his face into his hands with a long, exhausted sigh.

It couldn't get much worse than this…

----

**A/N**

Famous… last… words… :P

Read and Review, etc… If one person asks about Batman or JLA (apart from talking about this chapter), I'm withholding the next chapter an extra couple of days… cuz I plan on posting it tonight or tomorrow…. So HA!


	41. Disillusionment

**The Teen Titans**

**Chapter 41:** Disillusionment

**Author's Note:**

First off: Congrats to RandomGirlRox, who won the "300th Review" challenge! Her prize is, well, getting mentioned on this page! XD Kudos!!

Anyways, on to my official usual longwinded author's note – a rather serious one at that:

O.O Holy cow, guys… I'm starting to get nervous… which means you guys should start getting nervous… GET NERVOUS!

Okay, nervous for different reasons… I'm getting nervous because I realize what's coming up… I can't believe how far this has gotten… I'm so close to writing stuff I've wanted to write for SO LONG!! …and then there's you guys… you guys should be nervous because, really, you DON'T know what's coming up. The movie reveals some of it, but remember: this is MY version. :D And my version is messed up, as you've already discovered.

This is the beginning of what I'm sure to make a regular warning to you guys: my version is VERY DIFFERENT. It's not exactly like the movie, as you've already found. This is me taking the basic storyline of the movie flashback, and going "What if?" Four-point-five years ago, I thought "What if Robin had been with the Titans, not Batman?" And it exploded from there: I had to figure out every other what if, going through a whole family tree of them, basically – the effect of one created tons of others XD. "Well, if it's the Titans, there's so many of them with powers different from Batman's… what if Raven were just able to use her powers to find Robin? They'd need to keep that from happening for Joker to get what he wants" – hence why Blood was a necessity. And then, of course, there was "What if it turns out that Teen Titan's Dick Grayson was SO MUCH HARDER TO BREAK than Return of the Joker's Tim Drake? What terrible things would the Joker have to do to finally crack him within the course of three weeks?"

And for the answer to that, you will just have to wait and see.

Enjoy the ride. :) I know I am.

* * *

There was a city park just down the street from Grandma's place, in the center of Gotham. It was tiny, and not too terribly well taken care of: the grass was prickly and anything but green, the trees looked pale and sickly as well, and there was strange things written everywhere. Whoever wrote the things didn't have very good handwriting, because she couldn't read any of it, even though she was one of the best readers in the first grade. But there was a new play structure that was loads of fun. She'd overheard Momma and Grandma talking about it – apparently a really rich man named Wayne gave money to the city to build a bunch of them, and Grandma said that her park was the last to get one. Whoever this Wayne guy was, Miranda thought, he knew how to pick out playgrounds.

She slid down the long curly green slide, easily her favorite on the whole playground. It was less enjoyable in that some three-year-old brat had jumped in a second after she did, and decided to kick her all the way down. There were several other kids at the park that day, and all of them were so rude! Miranda wondered if people never learned good manners in Gotham. Then again, too many kids at her school in Jump did the same thing. Maybe people just weren't nice anywhere…

She finally gave up on the slide with a sulking pout, that little kid kicking her again two more times down it. If she were her brother, or any other kid she knew, she would have pushed that kid over for being so rude, but she knew she wasn't like them. She was practically a superhero, and she had to be a good example, and to be a good example, a superhero can't be pushing down little kids in the park. She sat herself down in the center of the sandy area around the structure, and began digging into it, spending a long time creating long tunnels beneath the packed sand, expertly connecting them underneath without the sand collapsing inwards. It was what she was best at. She was a master sand tunnel maker. All her friends at school was jealous of it. She grabbed her Robin doll from her jumper pocket, and set him inside. "There!" she told it. "It's your new hiding place, like your tower!"

A strange, tinkling music suddenly appeared, like magic. It was a tinny, ringing sound, like someone playing an old xylophone, of course, any kid at that park knew better – it was the universal sound of an ice cream man. Miranda yanked Robin from his hideout, getting clumsily to her feet and dusting the sand off. She turned with a scream of delight, seeing that white van swing around the corner, that jolly music still playing. The five or so other kids at the park had run over there with their moms, begging to get a Ninja Turtle pop, or a bullet bar, or an ice cream sandwich. She, however, realized she would have to ask her brother.

"Sean, Sean, Sean!" she squealed, running over to him. He was sitting on a park bench, playing his stupid Game Boy.

"What?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"Ice cream man! Can I have a dollar?"

Sean scowled, but actually reached into his pocket and produced a dollar for her. She stared at it in complete shock. He had just given her money?

"Now get out of my face!" he said, eyes widening at the screen as he snapped his hand back to the control pad. It wasn't generosity that he'd given it – his mom had actually given that to him on the offchance the ice cream mad came by. "I'm on a hard boss and you're KILLING ME!"

"Fiiine," Miranda whined, but really couldn't complain. She ran away from him, and over to the ice cream truck as fast as her little superhero legs could carry her. When she reached it, two kids were still standing there, two boys who were taller and older than her. They were sifting through their pockets for change, pooling them together in their hands and counting to see how much they had. The lady inside the ice cream truck watched with a small, yet somewhat impatient smile, drumming her fingers on the window ledge of her van in time to the jangly music.

"Come on, fellas! I don't got all day!" She spoke strangely, like people on TV. Miranda never thought real people could talk like that – she'd never heard one before. The ice cream lady sighed at the kids' attempt at counting their change (they'd had to restart twice), and finally looked over at Miranda, twirling a finger around one of her two blonde ponytails.

"What about you, sweetie?" she asked, holding out her hand for Miranda's dollar.

Miranda blinked up at the ice cream lady, and realized she had no idea what kind of ice cream she liked, or what kind of an ice cream a superhero liked. She clutched her Robin action figure tighter in one hand as she looked up at the pictures on the side of the van, waving the dollar before her face.

"I dunno," she admitted finally, frowning at the pictures. What did grown-ups say during times like this? She rubbed the dollar against her head as she thought about it, and finally remembered something her daddy had said at the restaurant yesterday. "Um… what's good?"

"Well, do ya like ice cream or fruity popsicles more?" the lady asked with a yawn.

"Ice cream!" the girl replied with a toothy smile. In reality, she liked both, but ice cream seemed more grown-up than colorful fruity popsicles.

"Ya know, you can go wrong with a Crunch Bar Pop," the lady said sweetly, pointing to the picture. "And it's exactly a dollar!" The lady grabbed the bar, and even unwrapped it for Miranda (which Miranda didn't mind, even though she was a big girl – she wasn't very good at opening wrappers like those still) and held it out to her, trading dollar for pop.

"Wait! We know what we want now!" one of the boys exclaimed, reaching out as though to stop the exchange from happening, because they were first. His hand hit the ice cream bar, knocking it out of Miranda's hand and sending it to the grassy, dirty ground.

"HEY!" Miranda shouted with a huff. She held out her Robin doll and began hitting the kid with it – it was righteous anger - justice! He just ruined her ice cream bar!

"Knock it off!" the kid spat angrily, shoving Miranda and sending her hard to the ground. She burst into tears.

"Go away, you kids!" the ice cream lady said angrily, shoving the change back into their hands. "I don't give ice cream to meanie-pants!"

The kids stood there a long moment, then shouted words they should never say to the ice cream lady, and ran off. The ice cream lady disappeared from her window, and then reappeared next to Miranda.

"Aw, you scraped your elbow," she said sweetly, holding out a hand to Miranda. "Come on, let's get you an ice pack and another ice cream bar, mkay?"

Miranda nodded slowly, and let the lady help her up, wiping away her tears. She was a big girl – she didn't need to cry. She let the lady lead her to the ice cream truck, and let her pick her up and set her inside. Her tears ended fully as she stared at the inside of the truck. It was so insane – big freezers for the ice cream, and large shelves full of candy and stickers. The lady hopped up next to her.

"Neat, huh?" she asked, closing the door.

"Yeah!" Miranda said, clutching Robin to her.

"I like yer doll!" the lady said, a strange twinkling in her eye as she stepped past Miranda and to the freezer. "Robin was always one of my favorites. Although, Batman is the best."

"Nuh-uh! It's all about Robin! And Robin doesn't need stupid Batman anymore – he's a superhero in my city now!"

"Oh, you're from Jump?" the lady asked. She had pulled a rag from behind the freezer, and a strange unmarked bottle that reminded her a little of the alcohol stuff Miranda's mom would put on her ouches when she got them. The lady must be doing the same thing.

"Um… yeah…" Miranda said, looking around. She suddenly felt a little scared, and she didn't know why. She supposed it was her old shyness, the same one that made her scream when she saw Santa. But she was a big girl, a friend of superheroes like Starfire! She didn't need to be afraid.

The lady glanced out the window, as though to make sure she didn't have any last minute customers, and then closed it, making it seem creepy and dark inside the ice cream machine.

"Can… I have my ice cream now?" Miranda asked, shifting a little, hoping she didn't sound rude. But she really wanted to leave now. It was spooky in there now, and the darkness made the lady seem not as friendly as she was before.

"Just let me help your owie, kay?" The lady knelt down beside her, and Miranda took a careful step back, eyes wide with concern.

"I, um…hey!"

The lady suddenly grabbed her, and wrestled her into her grown-up arms, pinning hers and keeping her from squirming away. Miranda couldn't move, and couldn't scream, the towel suddenly pressed against her nose and mouth. She struggled hard, but couldn't get away. She was screaming inside her head, though, wishing that her Robin could hear her, or Batman, or any of the Teen Titans... Starfire… Raven…

But then she found herself feeling very sleepy, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep in the woman's arms.

Harley dropped the little girl's limp form onto the ice cream truck's floor, and got into the driver's seat, pulling out her walkie-talkie.

"Got the last one, Mista Jay!" she said cheerfully into the receiver, putting the van into drive, taking one last peek at the park. No one was looking at them – she had pulled off another one! So many in two days, with no one the wiser.

Tomorrow… she thought excitedly to herself, humming the ice cream truck tune cheerfully as she drove to the special hideout by the docks, where she'd hidden the rest of the kids… where she would switch out trucks and take them back to the asylum…

Tomorrow was Jay's party…

…it was going to be one heck of a party…

* * *

Blurry shadows… the smell of sanitized equipment… a strange, metronomic beeping…

…he was alive…?

"Beast Boy…."

He opened his eyes slowly, everything a washed-out blur of blacks and grays. He blinked a few times, every blink clearing his vision little by little. Through the fog, he began to make out the glowing blue circuitry of his friend standing beside him in the darkness. Beast Boy furrowed his eyebrows… what happened… why was he in the hospital ward…?

Cyborg leaned in, his red eye blazing brilliantly.

"Can you hear me, man…? Do you know where you are?"

Beast Boy swallowed hard. He lifted a hand slowly and placed it on his forehead – he felt bandages. Before he knew what he was doing, he was sitting himself up.

"No, Beast Boy, you shouldn't…"

Cyborg's huge hand rested on Beast Boy's shoulder. The green Titan blinked dumbly into space before him. Something was nagging him, tugging on the edge of his mind… something he was supposed to remember….

He allowed the other boy to lay him back on the reclined hospital bed, his mind a daze… he couldn't remember… whatever it was, he couldn't remember…. Cyborg was speaking to him, asking him meaningless questions, a hand rested carefully on his head, thumb pulling at eyelids as he shined a bright light into his retinas.

"Wha happened…?" Beast Boy muttered softly, to himself more than to Cyborg, blinking and pulling his head reflexively away from the flashlight.

"There was a fight, with the HIVE," Cyborg answered him, eyes vigilant as he surveyed the other boy. "Do you remember?"

Beast Boy's head throbbed as he tried to think, a wave of nausea passing over him causing him to close his eyes a moment.

"Bea…?"

Beast Boy looked up at the other teen. The older boy's face looked so worried, so serious…

"How long was I out…?" Beast Boy asked, his voice hoarse, weak. He swallowed. His mouth felt so dry.

"Two days…" Cyborg said softly, grabbing Beast Boy's wrist between two fingers and thumb. His eyes didn't waver in intensity as he stared at the screen built into his arm, checking Beast Boy's vitals.

Beast Boy's head rolled a little on his pillow… he felt so numb… so empty… forgetting… he was forgetting something…. His other hand twitched, gripping onto his bedsheets, holding on tightly… holding on to dear life….

Whatever he did… he shouldn't…

"…let go…" he murmured.

And he remembered.

All at once… he remembered….

He snapped forward violently with a gasp, nearly colliding into the other Titan, his heart suddenly pounding, his body completely numb.

"Raven!"

"Beas—"

"Where is she??" he panted, grabbing at Cyborg's arm with his free hand. "Where is she?!"

Cyborg looked completely taken aback, lost for words. As Beast Boy stared up into those wide, shocked eyes, moments passing by in silence… a cold darkness swept upon him.

She… wasn't…

She couldn't be….

"No…" he whispered. "No!" He was scrambling to his knees on the bed, clutching at Cyborg. Panic was racing through him. "No! Where is she?! _Where is she?!_"

"Beast Boy!"

"I… I wasn't supposed to let go…" he gasped, fingers clenching the armor of the older teen, staring straight ahead of him, into nothingness, horror filling every part of him. "I… she told me not to let go! I let go!"

"Beast Boy, you need to calm down! Your head—you're still…"

"Where is she?!" he practically screamed, slapping his hands on Cyborg's armor.

"If you calm down…" Cyborg said, both calm and stern at the same time, grabbing the green boy's wrists tightly in his hands, holding them away from hitting him anymore, "I can explain it all to you…"

Beast Boy's eyes focused on the metal hands gripping his trembling arms. A lump formed in his throat, and everything seemed to be ending all at once.

"She's dead, isn't she…?" he found himself asking.

Cyborg exhaled softly, leaning down so he was eye-to-eye with the injured Titan.

"No, she's not. She's alive."

Every last ounce of air left Beast Boy's lungs, a sigh of relief. His shoulders slumped, his head dropping to his chest, almost in prayer.

She was alive…

"But… but she's not in good shape… and neither are you…" Cyborg cautiously released his hold on Beast Boy's wrists, and instead gripped his shoulders, applying enough pressure to hint that the young teen should lie back down. Beast Boy dropped back to his pillow, and pressed his hands to his face.

"This is all my fault…" he mumbled into his palms.

"No… no it's not…"

"I screwed up… I got caught… you all had to run in to save me…"

"It was a trap, Beast Boy. Robin wasn't even there. It was just a stupid, dirty trap."

Beast Boy hiccupped into his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks. He pulled his arms away, wiping his palms down his cheeks, wiping away his tears. He swept a wrist under his runny nose and looked sheepishly up at Cyborg's chocolate face.

"May I see her?" he asked weakly.

Cyborg's eyes looked away, flickering down to the bed, to the monitors, and back to him as he spoke, "You need to rest… you have a fractured skull. It's… actually pretty remarkable you're even conscious right now…"

Beast Boy averted his gaze, staring back into nothingness. His head throbbed beneath its bandages, and he felt like he was about to throw up. His hands were shaking violently – he gripped one with the other in attempt to make them stop. Cyborg was watching him carefully… the young Titan didn't look well at all… very pale, a flicker of pain in his eye…. Cyborg reached over and laid a hand gently on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"Just rest a day, okay? Raven is stable. She's not going to be going anywhere while you're here. You just rest."

Beast Boy nodded slowly, mind completely numb. Cyborg smiled glumly, his hand still rested on the other's shoulder. A long moment of silence passed between them before Cyborg released his hold and stepped away.

"I'll be just around the corner if you need me, okay? Give a holler if you need anything…"

"Thanks… Beast Boy croaked, closing his eyes and rolling onto his side. Cyborg sighed and watched him a long moment. His eyes flickered to Beast Boy's hands… one had clutched onto the bedsheet again with intense strength, his fingers trembling from the exertion, holding on as though he was going to fall through the bed and into the depths of hell if his grip weakened…

"I let go..." the little changeling mumbled to himself through a breath of air.

* * *

A/N: As always, I'd love a little R&R! :D Especially on this chapter. I really REALLY want to know what you guys are feeling right about now… mwehehehehe—no, no no *smacks self* stoppit! No evil laughter, you're going to scare the readers away!


	42. Pieces Falling Into Place

**Teen Titans: Return of the Joker**

**Chapter 42: **Pieces Falling Into Place...

(42 also happens to be the answer to life, the universe, and everything. It's not the answer to the outcome of this story. Sorry :P)

**Disclaimer: **Just thought I'd remind you guys that I can't claim ownership to much in this story... sad, sad day... *goes to her emo corner*

**Author's Note:** *singing in a creepy, child-like voice* ...nervous nervous excited... going out of my skull... why must the real world get in the way... here's hoping I survive the week... enjoy the angst... love you all... hey, ho... nobody's home... *grins disturbingly, eyes totally blank*

Doing another reminder - we're reaching a point of no return in a chapter or two. I suppose if you've come this far, you're not going to turn back, but no one has died so far... but that doesn't mean no one will... just a warning...

* * *

People were screaming in the streets… cars crashing into one another as people abandoned them, fleeing chaotically away from a giant AT-AT walker that was storming down the avenue, its giant laser cannons blazing as it fired wildly at the world around it, at any and every target there was.

Control Freak laughed maniacally from where he watched, hopping excitedly from foot to foot atop the old Bank Etc. Building. This was possibly the most exciting thing to ever happen – taking siege of the city, and though several hours have already passed, the Titans were nowhere to be seen.

"This is FANTASTIC!" he squealed with girlish delight, doing a silly, nerdy dance, pointing to the sky disco style. "It wont be long til I have complete control of this city… people will bow to me, cower before me, and address me as their EMPEROR!" He suddenly swung a black cloak around his neck, dropping the hood and rubbing his hands together, clearly emanating the Sith Lord from his favorite movies.

"Um…"

Something rapped Control Freak hard on the head several times, loud clonking sounds interrupting his moment. He spun around, furious.

"'Scuse me, gov'na!" said the jolly face of Mad Mod, appearing young and strapping, gripping his jeweled cane in his hand and twirling it between his fingers a second before surveying the pudgy nerd through his spectacles. A rusty old crown adorned his head, and a purple, fur-lined cape draped over his shoulders and cascaded down and across the ground behind him. He stood tall, proud and regal, nose lifting into the air. "But, you must be mistaken. See, there is only room for one monarch in this here city, and tha' monarch is me! "

"NO!" a high-pitched voice squealed, echoing over the city from a pair of loudspeakers, the word half-obscured by horrible feedback which caused the two criminals to clamp their hands to their ears. They looked up, and saw a huge moth flying overhead, a little blonde girl dressed in pink straddling its back, holding a bullhorn to her face. "There is NO ROOM in this city for SMELLY OLD MAN LEADERS! It's all about PRINCESS KITTEN!"

"You have GOT to be kidding…" Mad Mod groaned, crossing his arms with a scowl. "Young whippersnappers today! Such rudeness! Someone oughta give you a jolly good spankin'!"

The building beneath the first two villains suddenly shook violently, and they teetered over with matched cries of alarm. Quaking quickly fell still, and Control Freak waddled over to the edge of the building, peering over it. Below, from a smoking hole that'd once been the side of the building, a thin figure in all black emerged, carrying a pile of money bags in his arms. The figured paused and looked up at the rooftop, his face obscured with black save for a red X, and saluted Control Freak.

"Thanks for the tip, Trekkie!" the young villain shouted up to him, his voice barely carrying over the sound of sirens.

"Ooooh, who are YOU?!" Kitten suddenly gushed, peering down at the teenaged thief with hearts in her eyes. "That spandex body of your just SCREAMS deliciousness, and I bet your face does too!! You should ask me out to the movies!"

Both the old men leapt back with a "blech!" and even with the mask, Red X definitely appeared anything but flattered. "Sorry, sweetcheeks," he said. "You're not my type."

Kitten looked down at him blankly, her smile still wavering twitchingly on her face, almost forgotten. The two older men watched carefully from the rooftop, almost able to see the hearts in her eyes cracking in half. She suddenly grabbed the rope around the moth's neck, standing up and pointing a laser gun down at the Red X.

"IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU NO ONE CAN!!!" she suddenly shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Blimey!" shouted King Mad Mod, gripping his cloak to himself as Kitten's moth dove past the building, its wings shooting them with a blast of air.

"Urgh… worst thing since Yoda/Chewie smut…" muttered Control Freak, leaning over the side of the building to watch the outcome, hoping for it to be entertaining. But Red X merely vanished, leaving Kitten alone with her moth. She immediately broke out screaming, shooting her gun around widely in her tantrum as she hollowed in a high pitch squeal, a few stray shots narrowly missing the observing villain.

"Shall we?" asked Mad Mod, stepping over to Control Freak and holding up his scepter.

"Yes!" Control Freak agreed, his voice lisping significantly as he spoke, holding up his own reality-warping remote with a sly smile. "Lets shall!" The two men held their devices out together, and Kitten suddenly squealed, absorbed by blue light. She hovered in space a few feet above her moth as the two villain's spells took hold, and then fell, tumbling off her moth to the street beneath.

She sat there on her bottom, legs splayed out before her, rubbing her back from where she'd landed. She looked around, a little dazed, and surveyed herself, trying to figure out what the two old geysers had done to her. She got to her feet, seemingly fine, and blew a loud raspberry up at them!

"HA! You didn't do NOTHING!" she squealed, and then moved to walk back to her moth, who had landed and was waiting for her. But she couldn't walk right, she realized – her legs were flaying around in a strange fashion, doing weird circles, skipping here and there, making her bend close to the ground at times and hop up and down at others. Nor could she travel in a straight line, sometimes taking steps back, making circles, doing a hard right turn. She squealed in anger. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!?! I CAN'T CHEERLEAD LIKE THIS!!"

"Welcome to the Ministry of Silly Walks, lovely!" Mad Mod laughed.

"Yes! Monty Python! Classic!!!" Control Freak whooped, grabbing Mad Mod by the hand and shaking it fervently, causing the man's spectacles to nearly fly off his face. "We make an EXCELLENT team!! You like Dr. Who?"

"Do I ever!" Mad Mod said with wide eyes and a toothy grin. He clapped an arm around Control Freak. "1963, ol chap. Perfect year! Ya know, I do believe that this is the beginnin' of a beeeautiful friendship!"

"Beginning of a beautiful DOUBLE FUNERAL!" Kitten squealed. She had managed to get back on her moth and was shooting for the two men. "I AM GOING TO BITCHSLAP YOU SO HARD!"

"Like 'ell you are!" Mad Mod said. The two older villains hit their respective weapons simultaneously once more, and a giant hand, appearing as though it'd just been cut out of a magazine, flew from the sky and grabbed Kitten's moth. She squealed as the large limb shot back to the clouds, taking her and her moth with it.

"Where does it take her, do you think?" Control Freak asked, stroking his chin.

"I dunno. I figure Terry Gilliam will do SOMETHING with her…"

Control Freak continued stroking his chin, and then looked at Mad Mod through half-lidded eyes. "Why does that sound so wrong?" Mad Mod simply shrugged, then threaded an arm around the nerd's elbow.

"Come now, no time to waste! We have a city to take ov-AH!"

Suddenly, something slammed into the two of them, bowling them flat. They quickly grappled back to their feet, looking around, suddenly vigilant, but again, something swept past them, whipping up their capes around their faces, causing them to stagger around grabbing at the material, trying to free themselves.

"You know, Monty Python is funny and all, but don't you people have something better to do with your lives? Get a job? Lose some weight? Go to Bingo?" asked a young teenaged voice. Control Freak finally untangled himself from his emperor's cape, and looked towards the voice. A red-headed kid in an all-yellow spandex outfit stood there, arms folded, chest jutting out, looking downright proud and pleased with himself.

"Now who do you think you are, you li'l rugrat?" Mad Mod asked, finally throwing his purple king's cloak behind him.

Control Freak narrowed his eyes a moment at this new foe, feeling like he should know who this is.

"Oh," he finally said, less than impressed. "Kid Flash. Pssshh! You're not as awesome as the REAL Flash."

A heavy silence hung in the air. An almost annoyed look crossed the speedster's face, his arms unfolding.

"You know, you really shouldn't say things like that."

"Oh yeah? Why not?" asked Control Freak with a raised eyebrow.

"Cuz _I_ have your remote!" Kid Flash suddenly exclaimed with a beaming smile, holding up Control Freak's remote. "And your cane!" he added, holding up Mad Mod's scepter.

"HEY!" the two villains shouted together, but it was too late. Kid Flash pressed a button on each weapon, sniping a loud "Ni!" as he did so, and the world vanished. Kid Flash vanished. Control Freak found himself falling, Mad Mod's scream blending with his own as they fell through nothingness together. The next thing they knew, they had landed on a grassy field with a loud, painful thud. Control Freak laid there a long moment, breathing long, wheezing breaths, then slowly lifted up his head, wondering where they'd been transported to. His eyes fell on an adorable little furry white rabbit, standing just before him and staring up at him with beady wet eyes.

"Why hello there," he said to it. "Aren't you a cute… um…" It was then that he noticed the blood stained fur around the rabbit's mouth, and his body went cold.

"Time to run?" asked Mad Mod.

"Time to run," agreed Control Freak, and the two leapt to their feet and began sprinting for their lives, the flesh-eating rabbit zooming behind them, ready for dinner.

"WORST MOVIE EVER!" Control Freak screamed, his shout echoing through the mountains.

* * *

"Hey, mission coming in for you guys."

John, the Green Lantern, had been seated at the Justice League cafeteria with Hawkgirl, Superman and the Green Arrow. He placed a hand to his ear as the voice filtered in through his earpiece, and he looked up at the others. They had stopped eating too, holding their ears as well in concentration. "Go ahead," Superman said with authority.

"We have a situation in Gotham right now with children getting kidnapped. At least fifteen police reports have been filed over the past day, and more keep coming - they think it's all connected, by a single person or organization."

"Batman still out with Wonder Woman and J'onn?" Hawkgirl asked inquisitively, looking uneasy.

"Yes, and we still don't know when he'll be back. But the situation is at a high-level alert and we need someone down there now to help with the search, figure out who's behind it all before they strike again."

"Alright, we'll be right there," said Superman, getting to his feet

"Yeah… on our way," Green Arrow agreed, following Superman's lead, but looking at his half-eaten lunch forlornly. The other two heroes stood as well, looking at one another with concerned faces.

Kidnapped children in Gotham….

John already wished that Batman were with them – it was his turf: he knew the ins and outs of that place better than any amount of case file studies could help… this would be a little bit trickier, even with the four of them…

"Let's go," Superman said with an air of authority, and they hurried out of the cafeteria, none of the other heroes dining there giving even a glance – just another day at the headquarters.

* * *

…the last toy…

He stared down at it blankly… the last toy…

…the toy gun…

He waited for the clown to say something, his brain completely numb.

Just do what you're told… and no pain…

…going this long without pain was… wonderful…

"Alrighty, Jay. Go ahead, pick up the toy gun."

He reached out without hesitation, gripping the handle of the little black gun, lifting it and holding it out to the Joker.

"Oh, no no no, Jay-Jay! I don't want it. Not this time. It's for you… hold it..."

The young teenager looked up at the Joker, but not at his eyes, focusing somewhere on his ghostly white forehead… a small spark of confusion flickered through his face. What…?

"Go on! Hold it, like this!" The Joker leaned forward and helped flip the gun around in the boy's hand, so that the handle was nestled comfortably in his palm, his finger slipped around the trigger. His eyes widened to their full roundness, hand shaking a little as he stared down at it. Images of the other toys flickered through his mind… explosions… gas… zapping with lightning… they had all been dangerous in one form or another…

…did that mean…?

The Joker had gotten to his feet, stepping around his little captive, gripping him beneath the arms and helping him to his feet. He whirled him around a few times as though preparing him to bat a piñata, making him dizzy, almost causing him to lose his balance (but he couldn't lose his balance… if he were to, it would mean more pain…) The Joker stopped him abruptly, making him face where his back had been before. But the world still kept on spinning nauseatingly.

"Alrighty. Now… Daddy Says… take a good shot at one of these dolls…"

He lifted his head, and his whole body went completely numb.

Lined up against the wall were an army of life-sized stuffed dolls. They were faceless, but were dressed in very familiar costumes… One with a black cloak, a pointed hood obscuring its face… one painted green, in a spandex outfit of purple and black… one with a very familiar metal half of a robotic face duct taped to its head… one with a red wig on, green eyes painted on, wearing a fuchsia shirt and skirt… and one, with a black R safety-pinned to his front, a black mask, a yellow and black cape… and the last one… a long flowing shadowy cape… and a black cowl, with pointed ears and spaces for eyes and a mouth….

The gun was trembling in his hands, his whole body quaking… he felt like he would be sick….

"Go on, Jay…" Joker said, taking a step back, so he could be seen out of the corner of the teen's eye, watching, waiting. "Be a good boy… listen to Daddy… shoot one… take one down…"

The boy swallowed, his mouth completely dried out, his lips still stretched back in a terrible mixture of a poisoned smile and a horrified grimace… his body shook more violently… it took everything he had just to remain standing… and his brain was chanting…

Shoot…. Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot…

Shaking hands….

…who to pick….?

Eyes wavering from one to the other… breath inhaling and exhaling hard, quick… hyperventilating… he knew who these effigies were meant to be… but he couldn't picture their real faces… couldn't see them anymore…

…who…?

"Choose, Jay! Now!" Joker had lifted his remote, thumb hovering over a button threateningly

…choose… one…

…just one…

…just pick…

…and the choice was made in a lightning quick flash of decision he didn't even realize until he was moving. He swung the gun around with a cry, aiming straight for his target… that horrible purple suit… that terrible smiling white face… pulling the trigger….

He prepared for the gunshot, his heart leaping with sudden, explosive hope in his chest… but instead of the usual clapping sound of a bullet fired, the sound that greeted his awaiting ears was more like someone tooting a party horn, a flapping flag bursting from the tip of the gun to hang from a little pole before it. He gasped in disbelief… that was all the gun did… it was a gag gun… one where you'd pull the trigger… and it said "Bang."

His wide, horrified eyes traveled from the gun, up to those piercing red orbs, meeting them for the first time since Slade… his heart was now freezing over with dread in his chest, the whole world standing completely still… watching the fury blazing within those terrible irises…

…wrong choice…

Electricity exploded once more, and he was slammed to the ground like someone had dropped an anvil onto his chest. He screamed terrible, voiceless cries, his damaged, exhausted vocal cords rasping as the pain tore his body apart.

"I'm sorry!" he cried, his voice cracking. The pain was unbearable. He thrashed even more violently on the floor as the voltages increased, a harsher scream ripping across his throat.

"WRONG CHOICE, JAY!" the Joker's terrible voice thundered. The Joker had stormed over to the boy's side, snapping up the gun from beside him and observing it closely, as though wondering if it was defective. The teenager continued to writhe and shriek on the floor as lightning zapped across his skin.

"I'm sorry!" he was shrieking, not even fully aware of what he was saying. "I'm sorry! Dad! Please!"

The electricity stopped. So did the boy's heart, his eyes snapping open as he realized what he had just said. Horror flooded him completely as he lay there, his cheek resting against the cold surface of the concrete floor, the flat plane feeling like ice against his clammy skin… his chest heaved with harsh, difficult breaths, causing his whole form to rise and fall like a bouncing ball… and his whole body shook in quick, quivering tremors, aftershocks of the attacks... and in his own alarm… his face still haunted by that terrible, permanent smile…

…footsteps approaching… eyes screwing shut in terrible shame and loathing… he had said it… he had truly called him… that…

"Say it again…" that terrible voice hissed, right next to the boy's ear. His voice sounded… almost romantic in his ear, making his stomach twist and coil in disgust. "Call me that again…"

The battered teen shook his head viciously… no… never again… he wasn't his father… not his son…

…he was...

...was….

Electricity again… he felt like he'd been dipped into a volcano….

…no… no please, stop…

…say it again…

…no…no… no please….

…SAY IT….

It increased more, feeling like it was ripping his very soul through his chest.

…NO! PLEASE!...

…_SAY IT…_

…D-dad…

…Father…

…please…

And it ended… Sweet relief…. The fire gone…

…no more pain… no more pain, Jay…

"….you see…if you please Daddy, you'll never have to feel pain again…"

He was being pulled to his feet again, hands holding him up from behind, since there was no way he could support himself on his own, the handle of the gun thrust into his hands again. His vision blurred… nothing felt real…

"Now…" that voice in his ear. "Take another shot… and this time, don't miss…"

Holding the gun, a gloved hand helping him keep it steady. Crazed young eyes swiveling around in their sockets at the blurred outlines of the effigies…

…pick… someone…

…he couldn't choose anyone else… but him…

…aiming… firing… this time, it sounded like a gunshot…

The flag struck the doll, straight in its little yellow insignia, right in the hole of the R.

"Lookat that – right in the heart! Oh, that one is long gone, isn't he, Jay my boy?!"

…long gone…

…no… not yet…

…but I can't wait to be…

Laughter was rocking his chest… matching laughter rolled through the mouth still close by the boy's head.

"Well done, Jay, well done… Now… another one… the next one… we'll bring them down… one by one…"

…he couldn't… the gun fell from his hands, wrenching his body from Joker's grasp, falling to his knees away from the Joker's grip… and soon back to the floor, his actions granting him a good long run of even stronger electroshock… more excruciating than every before… it felt like it was peeling his skin and muscles away, layer by layer.

…but he couldn't shoot them… no matter if they were fake…

...never again… never again…

…he didn't even know why anymore…

* * *

The electroshock ended up knocking the boy unconscious.

The Joker glared down upon him, and then up at the Robin doll with the flagged dart sticking out of him. He walked over, batting at the yellow flag a little with a few fingers, then looking down the row of dolls, cleverly dressed like the Titans.

The boy was further along than he'd expected… it wouldn't be long before the Joker would be unable to access information from him anymore… he didn't want to cross that line before he'd found out what he wanted to know…

He stepped to the next doll, the one dressed like Starfire, tugging at her hair a little with his lower lip puckering in deep thought. He knew what he'd be doing next, but now… he felt like he needed something… a little more…

His lips stretched back in the most vile smile yet. He snapped the walkie-talkie from behind his back, swinging up the volume and depressing the button.

"Harley. I have one last errand for you to run – we need some party favors for our little Jay's guests…"

"Roger, Roger, Captain Jay!" Harley chirruped in response, and Joker could even picture her in heis mind eye, saluting him from the front of the party truck that held the kidnapped kids. He returned the walkie-talkie to hang off his back pocket, and crossed his arms. His whole body was a-jitter with excitement. He hadn't felt this much anticipation for something in what seemed like years. He turned on his heel and stared down at the little boy.

"Come, now, Jay-Jay!" he said animatedly, as though the boy was still conscious. "We have to get you all tidied up and ready for your party! Can't have you meeting your little friends looking like that!" He easily lifted the boy off the ground, dragging him across the floor by the collar, a silly little bounce in his step as he carried him to the door, humming the "Happy Happy Birthday" song under his breath, the annoying one that was often sung by choirs of restaurant servers.

"I'm gonna be a Daddy!" the Joker squealed excitedly, swinging the boy around like a marionette through the door, down the hallway.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

A few author confessions to make:

First, I will admit – I honestly don't believe Mad Mod + Control Freak = Monty Python. Like, it would sometimes, but I do fully believe that Mad Mod + Control Freak = Dr. Who. But I don't know Dr. Who well enough to incorporate it. XD Or, like, at all… I'm sorry!! Just think up your best Dr. Who alternative if you want to, and pretend mine didn't happen! I can only do what I can… XD It's kind of spectacular I don't know Dr. Who better… all my closest friends own sonic screwdrivers… including my roommate…

Second… I just realized… there is a HUGE factual chronological canonical problem with including Kid Flash in this story that I didn't realize until I read rogueandkurt's "Grimm" story last night… Kid Flash is Wally West… and Justice League's Flash is Wally West… XD So, basically, the Teen Titans storyline happened before the Justice League even formed (this can also be upheld with Speedy's older appearance in "Patriot Act")… So… ignore this fact… please… because I can't not have Kid Flash in this story, and I already screwed up and included the Justice League… Damnit, Wally… I love ya, man, but you are making my life hell right now XD

Third… I realize the Justice League part of this chapter is fail… I just threw it in to throw it in, and to make the transition from the happy scene to the crazy scene a little easier.

I hope you guys feel the suspense... it's so close... I can feel it... I can taste it... I can liiiiick it... mmmhmmmhmmmmm.... tastes like ANGST! :P ...Sorry if I sound creepier than usual... I'm kind of losing my mind... just found out I have two paintings due in three days... and I don't even have things to paint on... F.M.L. X(


	43. Staring Over The Edge

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 43: **Staring Over The Edge…

**Rated: M FOR MATURE! **You have been warned!!!

**Disclaimer: **I have no claim over anything in this story, except any original characters.

**Author's Note:**

Sorry this chapter took so long you guys… I think once you read it… you'll… understand why it took me so long to write. First of all - it's the longest chapter to date (I think). Second of all... I had to get it perfect. You'll see why. And, well, thankfully, tonight, I was in just the right mood to not roleplay and instead write horribly amazing angst. Enjoy. (Don't kill me)

* * *

Bumblebee yawned and stretched as she stepped into the hospital wing of the Titans East Tower, greeted by the soft rhythms of heartbeat monitors, and the quiet sounds of sleeping injured Titans. She snuck a peek at a nearby wall as she released her tensing muscles – 6:33am, it read in sterile, blocky green numbers.

A brand new day… but still too early of one for her, after another restless night….

She rubbed sleep from her eyes with the pads of her fingertips as she marched forward into the room. It was time to make her rounds, checking in on the injured Titans. She grabbed a clipboard from a table and moved towards the first curtained-off cubicle, where Mas lay sleeping on a newly constructed hospital bed. His feet hung from the ceiling in casts colored with marker, and he looked extremely uncomfortable, yet somehow was still fast asleep. Menos lay curled up on the bed beside him, snoring softly and mumbling something foreign under his breath. Bumblebee tiptoed to their side, and pulled the covers more over the two of them (over Mas as well as she could, the blanket hanging down from his elevated legs so it looked like a large camp tent hung over him and Menos.) She took a look at his vitals on the monitor, his temperature, his blood pressure and heart rate, and then swept back out, pulling the covers closed with a sad little smile at the twins, particularly when she heard Menos mumble something about "cucarachas en sombreros."

She moved on, pulling aside the next set of curtains, looking in on Starfire, who lay curled up on her bed, snoring loudly. In her hands she hugged a raggedy doll that did not appear to even try and look human. Bumblebee smiled slightly as she surveyed the unbandaged burned areas on the alien girl's body. She seemed to be healing rapidly, much faster than any of them would under the same circumstances, but was a long way off from being fully healed. After checking her monitors and vitals as well, she tugged the curtains gently closed and moved on.

She lifted up the papers on her clipboard as she made a slow journey to the next curtained-off section of the wing. Beast Boy was next. Her eyes flicked over his chart data in the dim light, noting his shifts in brain waves and heart rates that she may need to take into account. Trend in temperatures… they'd been climbing, though still in the "normal" range for him… still something to check on… Her eyes lingered on the clipboard as she slid a hand into the gap between his curtains, and lifted them around her as she swept in. She looked up.

He was gone.

"Beast Boy?" she whispered loudly, looking around. His bed was unmade, the bloodstained bandages and the electrodes which had been taped to his head lying strewn across his pillow. She looked over at the monitors; they had been turned off to silence the bleeping which would have resulted from the sudden lack of brainwave signals. She peeked her head back through the curtains into the hospital wing, looking towards the bathroom. The door was open, the light off. He wasn't there. Her heart drummed in her chest as she looked around. Where could he possibly have gone?

An idea hit her, and she stepped swiftly around to the next bed, brushing the curtains aside like a flutter of angel wings. She breathed a sigh of relief as she surveyed the scene before her. A tiny dark green cat lay curled up on the pillow beside Raven's ear, purring like a motorboat in its sleep. Bumblebee took in the scene with a strange sense of heart-filled sadness. The poor changeling was so worried about Raven…

Bumblebee stepped carefully over to them, looking at the stark contrast of the little kitten's soft, fuzzy form to the tubes which were taped to the young Titan girl, keeping her alive. Bumblebee hesitated a moment, unsure whether to disturb him or not. But as she looked down at him, she swallowed. The stitched-up wounds on his back looked terrible in his cat form, hair matted up and tangled around the zig-zagging threads, skin buckling strangely… and his unbandaged head was bleeding, the maroon liquid turning his green fur a dull muddy brown.

"Beast Boy…" she whispered softly as she stepped over towards him. She reached out a hand and gently brushed it along his shoulder, one of the uninjured parts of him. He peered over at her with one eye, and then closed it again, curling up tighter and mewling a feline equivalent of "Five more minutes, mom," as he nuzzled him up closer to Raven's shoulder. Bumblebee reached over and slid her fingers under his tiny kitten body. He mewed in anger as she pulled him away from the healing Titan girl, swiping at the Titans leader half-heartedly with his paws, claws flashing a moment before folding away again.

"I'll let you stay with her, just let me tape up your little kitty head," Bumblebee hissed as she struggled with him. She set him down gingerly at the foot of Raven's bed and went over to the cupboards, pulling out some gauze and antibiotic cream and cotton pads.

"Can I have some pain killers, too?" came a voice behind her. She turned. Beast Boy had returned to normal, sitting with his legs hanging over the foot of the girl's bed, Raven's feet just an inch behind him. He rubbed his eyes with the pads of both hands, groaning softly in the back of his throat.

"Sure," she replied softly, pulling open a drawer and shuffling through its contents with her eyebrows knitted in concentration. She pulled out a bottle and began working at opening the cap. "Will this affect you if you go back to being a cat? I don't know how much…"

"A normal dose won't bother me," he replied, still massaging one eye with his knuckles, voice croaky and tired. Bumblebee took out a few tablets and grabbed a water bottle from the countertop, and handed both to the green boy. He quickly popped the medicine in his mouth and swallowed it dry, then began unscrewing the water bottle absentmindedly. Bumblebee set the gauze and things down on the bed beside him and grabbed his wrist, feeling for his pulse.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in a low voice, dropping his hand and reaching over to feel at his neck, massaging to feel if his glands were swollen.

"Lousy," he replied, wincing a little.

"That doesn't hurt does it?" she asked.

"No." Bee tugged a little on the back of his neck, forcing him to lean forward a bit. She pulled out a flashlight and flashed it at his eyes, face set hard with focus.

"Why do you guys do that to me?" Beast Boy mumbled dumbly, pulling his head away and wincing.

"Checking to make sure your head is doin okay," she said simply, struggling a little to get at his other eye.

"By burning out my retinas?"

"Makin sure your pupils are the same shape and that they're focusing right. Anything else could mean that your brain isn't doin what it's supposed to. Broken skulls tend to cause problems, you know."

"Yeah yeah, thanks doc," muttered Beast Boy, rubbing the burning sensation from his eyes as she pocketed the flashlight. Bumblebee pulled out a stethoscope and reached over behind him, pressing the cold round surface of it to his back, listening to his breathing and his heart.

"…I quit."

Bumblebee looked up at him, startled, his voice distorted and loud through the earpieces of the stethoscope. She pulled the little buds from her canals and straightened, looking at him, sure she hadn't caught it right. "What??"

"I quit," he said again, voice dark, stern. He avoided her gaze, staring straight ahead of him, into nothingness. His jaw was set tight, his eyebrows parallel with the horizon, forehead crinkled. It was as though he was glaring down something terrible standing right in front of him. She moved herself around, standing before him, moving so her face was meeting his gaze. He just as quickly averted his eyes elsewhere.

"Quit??" she gasped. "You… you can't quit."

"I can and I have," he snapped coldly.

"No… you can't… Beast Boy." She gripped his chin and forced him to look up, to look at her. Her chocolate brown eyes were blazing with emotion. "You can't… your team is falling apart. They can't lose you, too."

"They can call Hot Spot or Kid Flash or someone to fill in…" Beast Boy muttered, jerking backwards to release her hold on his chin. "They would do a much better job than me, anyways. I'm done."

The green changeling twisted a little where he sat, glancing over his shoulder at the girl lying somewhere between life and death beside him. He laid a hand gently on her ankle, as though reassuring her that he was still there, or perhaps reassuring himself that she was.

"Beast Boy, I…" began Bumblebee, suddenly lost for words - a very unfamiliar state for her.

"I'm tired," Beast Boy said softly. "Just bandage my head up and leave me alone."

At once, he turned back into a cat, sitting upright stiffly, head tilted towards the Titans East leader to accentuate his point. Bumblebee sighed and began dressing Beast Boy's wound.

"Just focus on getting better, Beast Boy," she said quietly, wrapping the gauze around his head and securing it with a small strip of tape. She pulled back, signaling that she was finished, and he quickly leapt away, crawling carefully over Raven and taking his position back by her side, curling up into a ball. Bumblebee watched the two of them for a long, solemn moment before cleaning up the mess of gauze and medical supplies, then took a quick look over Raven's vitals before heading out the command center door. She headed up to the command center kitchen, to prepare breakfast for herself and those imprisoned there in the hospital ward… and through the journey, she pictured herself telling Cyborg what Beast Boy had told her, and felt a little uneasy at the thought…

_This isn't good..._

* * *

His wrists hurt… his whole body hurt, but his wrists especially… it felt like they had been sliced apart, like someone had wrapped wire around them and lopped off his hands… but he commanded his fingers to flex, and they did, though he barely felt them, circulation cut off, leaving them numb and cold. He winced as he swayed a little, his shoulders creaking and groaning in pain from his weight pulling on them so long. His feet only just touched the floor, doing nothing to support himself… He frowned as he opened his eyes slowly, trying to make sense of all this… he found himself staring out into a room he did not recognize… blank, dark, concrete, empty… He blinked a few times at the unfamiliar surroundings, and then his eyes trailed upwards. His arms were high over his head, ropes binding his wrists together, stretching them to the ceiling, holding him upright. His feet were secured to the floor in metal traps. He couldn't move. He hung his head, his mind one big painful haze of jumbled thoughts… but one leapt out, like a camouflaged lion leaping suddenly from the overgrown bushes to pounce on its prey.

He'd been in this position before… hands above his head… empty space… could almost hear the dreadful hiss of sprinklers overhead…

…his whole body jerked of its own accord, as though the pain of that moment still lay dormant beneath his bleached skin… he remembered, in pieces, the fire that ravaged him, the acid eating apart his skin… And as that memory clutched him, more came….he recalled the agony of his teeth being ripped out one by one… remembered the excruciating pain that was every electrocution he'd experienced… his lips were stretched back in that permanent smile…

…all this…. and yet… he couldn't remember….

…it was there, somewhere… a name… his name… i-it started with a… a D…? …no… no a J… Jay….

_That's it!_

_Jay, Joker's son…_

…That wasn't right….

The squeaky sound of a door hinge interrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw the white, haunting, smiling face that he couldn't get out of his head. The Joker... Evil and malicious as ever.

"Well, my little Jay. Did you have a nice nap?"

_Jay… Jay….._

"That's not my name…" he murmured, to himself more than to the Joker, dropping his gaze. His voice was hoarse, a weak rattle.

"Now, now, don't be silly, Jay-Jay!" the Joker chortled, ruffling the boy's dirty, shaggy hair. "Mummy and Daddy picked out that name for you special! How could you dislike it? It's got such poetry to it, don't it pumpkin?"

"Sure does, Puddin'!"

The boy lifted his head a little, eyes focusing past the Joker on the woman standing at the door. She leaned casually against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her pointed hat hanging in her face, looking downright smug.

"Guess what, Jay?" the Joker sang, tapping the boy on the nose, to grab his attention. He waited only a moment for a reply that wouldn't come before leaning in. "It's your birthday!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Harley cheered, dancing forward, whipping out a party horn and throwing a handful of confetti into the boy's face. He blinked against the sudden burst of color, flinching violently as it tickled and scratched across his face.

…birthday…? The tortured, injured boy watched the colorful rain scatter to the ground, bewilderment flashing across his eternally smiling face.

"That's right! And Mummy and I thought we'd throw you a little party! But, what's a party without friends, am I right?"

_Friends…? …Friends._

Pain, destruction, death… a purple-haired girl falling, her eyes going dim as blood erupted from her ribs… a green-skinned boy falling into a crevice gripping a body, crying out in terror before disappearing into the darkness… a mechanical boy broken down into dismembered parts… a beautiful orange face vanishing beneath blood and burns…

…and a gun, pointed at dolls meant to be them…

…no more friends… all gone…

"I don't want any," he whispered, dropping his head weakly.

"Oh, come now," the Joker said. "Of course you do! And we know how much you miss your old friends, so we found some that are just like them!" His voice was deep, dark, dangerous, sending terrible shivers down his captive's back. The Joker looked at the jester woman beside him, grinning wildly. "Why don't you go bring some in, eh Sweetpea?"

"Ya got it, Snookums!" Harley cooed to the Joker before skipping off again.

The maniacally smiling boy kept his gaze unfocusedly on the confetti at the floor, finding himself unable to breathe… the most terrible feeling gripped his chest… a deep sense of foreboding….

Birthday….?

…Jay….?

He heard the clatter of chains, and a small whimpering cry… a couple whimpering cries…. His head snapped up of its own accord, almost in reflex to that helpless sound, his heart and body suddenly horribly alert.

And his lungs caved in on itself in his own chest, his eyes widening to their fullest extent.

Four children… four young, helpless children… mouths duct-taped, chained to one another and pulled along by Harley like sheep ready to be butchered. Not a single eye was dry as they stared frantically up at the tethered Joker boy. They screamed muffled cries, struggling desperately against their restraints, anxious to get free. For good reason.

And each one in costume… Halloween costumes… so much like the effigies he saw before… A deep violet cloak… an outfit made to look like glowing circuitry… black and purple jumpsuit… a fuchsia skirt and cropped top…

…little mini versions of those he once knew… those of his nightmares… those who were lost…

Jay screamed in terrible disbelief. No… no no no… Why this?! _Why this?!?!_

"Come on in, children! Come meet your new friend, Jay!" the Joker greeted with a bright smile as Harley tied the end of the chain to an anvil beside the Joker, then walked down the line and forced each and every one of them to sit on the floor. They cried out at her touch, as though she were made of acid, but remained seated, gripping onto one another, terrified beyond their wits.

But whatever fear they were feeling was nothing compared to that of the teenager watching them. He was shaking his head uncontrollably, as though saying "no" over and over again, shock and terror clutching him like a vice. This wasn't happening… this couldn't be…

"So, kiddies!" the Joker chirruped, clapping his hands together and pacing before them like a kindergarten teacher explaining a new lesson. "It's time to play a party game! What do you think?" The Joker looked from the group of four on the ground and then up to the "birthday boy," grinning more maniacally than ever, his eyes dancing with excitement. "We need someone to be "It!" Who would like to be It?"

Understandably, no one spoke up. The Joker pouted a moment, then stepped closer to the kids, who squealed and tried scooting away from his grasp, unable to get far thanks to the chains. He grabbed the first child in line, the girl in the night-shaded cloak, tearing her screaming away from the other kids. Just enough slack existed in the chains to let her stand while the one connected to her remained sitting, still holding onto the other kids. She squealed muffled cries in a crazed panic; a young, dark-haired child with almond-shaped eyes and pale, freckled skin.

She only had to be eight-years-old

The Joker reached down and pinched the tape over the young girl's mouth with his gloved fingers, and tore it away, so she emitted a high pitched scream as the tape tried to pull her skin off.

And then, the Joker pulled a shotgun out of his pocket, and held it to the screaming child's head.

"No!" cried the nameless boy suddenly, yanking desperately against his restraints, eyes wide with panic. Dear god… not this… not some poor innocent girl…

"What's your name, child?" the Joker asked her in a mockingly sweet voice. The girl trembled in his arms, mewing loud sobs, and he pressed the gun against her temple. "Say your name!"

"Sh-Sharon…" the girl whimpered in a quick, terrified voice.

"And how old are you, Sharon?"

"E-eight…"

"Ah, now look at that," the Joker said admiringly, pulling the gun away. "See how much easier things become when we answer questions right away? Nothing bad happens." He looked around at the other children, and then up at the boy hanging before him, eyes sparkling malevolently.

"Now… we're going to play a little game," the Joker said in that same falsely sweet voice, turning back to the girl. "The game is 'Who is Batman?' And if our friend Jay here doesn't tell us, you lose."

…Batman….

…and then, everything went numb. Completely, totally numb, tears slipping silently down the teen's gaunt white face, curving around his haunted smile.

…he… he knew that name… could almost see a face…

…but he couldn't…

"Come now, my boy… the clock is ticking…."

He stared into the girl's wide, scared hazel eyes, and she stared back at his sunken blue ones. He couldn't breathe… he'd forgotten how to…

…and he'd forgotten the name… his name… the name that would save her…

…he couldn't remember...

…he couldn't save her...

"ERRRRRRT!!" the Joker exclaimed, like a game show buzzer. "Time's up!"

"NO!"

But it was too late. The sound of the gun firing echoed throughout the chamber. Jay screamed and threw himself against his ropes as blood rained down to the ground, joining the confetti. The girl's hazel eyes suddenly grew vacant, and she sagged in the Joker's grip. He let her fall to the ground, like a marionette with its strings cut loose. The other kids were screaming violently now, trying frantically to get as far away from the body chained to them, the boy next in line covered in her young blood.

He stared down at the lifeless body of the eight-year-old girl…

…so young…

…a cloak splattered with blood…

...He cried out with a wince, curling in on himself as best he could, tied up as he was… it all hurt so much… It was like the Joker had reached into the boy's battered heart, grabbing at those terrible wounds, digging his fingernails in and pulling out the stitches, pulling the folds of muscle apart, breaking away any scabbing, any attempt at healing, and allowing the blood to pour freely once again… widening the wounds… making the pain only that much more unbearable…

…he'd lost them once… now he was losing them, all over again… in a way far worse…

…it was all his fault…

A sob racked through him. No… dear God, no… not this…

The Joker looked positively gleeful as he grabbed the next in line, the young boy in the stylized robotic costume, hoisting him to his feet by his collar, pressing the gun to his head too. The boy had beautiful chocolate skin and wide eyes that at one point of time probably held all the laughter of the world… but now they gazed up at the captive teen, eyes overflowing with tears, his screams muffled by the duct tape as the Joker gripped each of his shoulders from behind to keep him still and on his feet.

"Justin, isn't it?" the Joker asked the boy, not bothering to pull his duct tape off before looking up at the shaking teen before him. "Let's try this again…. Who is Batman…?"

"Please… oh god, please don't…" the words crept past the beaming boy's worn-out throat. His body was shaking, his mind racing. His mind scrambled for the name… he struggled so hard to grip it tightly… but no name that came to mind sounded right… "Please…."

"A naaaame," the Joker sang, cupping his hand to his ear, indicating it was the only way.

"I don't know!" the boy screamed honestly. "I—please, I just--!"

"Wrong answer."

The gunfire which followed wrenched through his heart, causing another cry of complete anguish to rip through his lips. He could feel blood dripping from his aching wrists from his thrashing. The handsome young boy dropped limp to the ground…

…his mind couldn't take much more…

"Batter up!" the Joker announced gleefully, grabbing the boy that was next in line. This one had to be only four years old, and wore a pair of pointed green ears and a familiar-looking unitard. He quivered with fear, his pudgy face red, eyes watering incessantly. His matted bright red hair shone in the fluorescent lighting.

The enslaved teenager hunched up his shoulders as the Joker asked the question again, shutting his eyes tight. He tried to pull away, tried to retreat back into that sweet place of nothingness in his mind that had kept him so much company the past few weeks, but it was no use…. The shrieks of the two terrified remaining children tore through him like knives, tearing apart his very soul… he cried with all his being as he heard the question asked again, and then once again, a gunshot, and silence save for one last child's voice screaming and sobbing in absolute terror and despair.

"Why are you doing this to your little friends, Jay?" asked the Joker darkly. The teen felt his captor's warm, putrid breath on his face, but refused to look up. The Joker gripped his chin and forced it upward, and then pressed the slimy fingers of his other hand to the teen's lips, shoving them inside.

He tasted blood. He fought against Joker's grip but it was too strong.

"Taste it, boy!! The blood of the children you've murdered!! All you had to do was answer a simple question, and yet, you instead let three promising lives fade away. Their blood is on _your_ conscience…."

_No… no…! _

…he couldn't control his own mind… it was broken… his memories weren't… it wasn't… he couldn't….

…but it is, Jay… it's your fault…

…if you'd only told him before… he wouldn't have resorted to this…

The Joker released his grip on the boy's chin, and he gagged and sputtered, but the taste of blood remained. His body shook, his mind falling apart.

"Last one here… are you going to save her…?"

Jay didn't want to look, but his eyes traveled up of their own accord, falling on the trembling little girl in the pink skirt and shortened top, The Joker stood behind her with his grip on both her shoulders to hold her in place, staring adoringly down at her. She was a beautiful little girl, with tan skin, curly hair and brilliant green eyes… she was so young…

The Joker pulled her duct tape off, crouching a little so his pointed white face was resting on her shoulder, leaning his yellow grin towards her ear.

"Now…" he murmured in a calm, yet dangerous tone. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"M-Miranda…" she answered in the most terrified voice, her face pale and shaking perceptibly.

"And how old are you, Miranda?"

"S-Six."

"Now… I want you to ask young Jay here the question, okay? Ask him – 'Who is Batman?'"

His stomach contorted painfully inside him as he watched her, feeling beyond hopeless… He clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to hear her sweet voice again… not wanting to… to watch her die…

…why couldn't it be him…?

…he waited….

…But the question never came…

…instead…

"…R-Robin…?"

A jolt of understanding exploded through his entire being, causing his eyes to jerk open wide in shock.

Robin… that was it… that was it! That was his name… not his real name… but neither was Jay…

… he was a Robin, not a Jay….

Everything he thought he'd lost in his mind was suddenly so close now… becoming clearer…

Meanwhile, the Joker looked down at the girl with a look of complete and utter hatred. He cocked the gun and pressed it up against her head.

"You best shut your mouth, child!" he said.

The girl quivered with fear once more against the mouth of the gun, but she swallowed, and began talking again. She was brave, and it was time for her to be the hero…

"Robin! It's okay! Your friends are looking for you! I saw them! They'll find you! They'll save us!"

…his friends…?

…but, no…

…dead… all dead….

But somehow, this little girl's eyes… the hope therein… and in her voice as well…

…it was enough…

And then the crack of a gunshot clapped through the room.

He stared in horror into her beautiful eyes, seeing the conviction and hope fade away in an instant, light and life going out… the plastic toy he hadn't seen in her chained hands slipping from her tiny fingers, clattering to the floor, picking up the blood that lay there…

…a Robin doll…

…six years old…

"And that's what happens when you talk without permission!" the Joker snarled, throwing the girl's lifeless body aside like it was made of something foul.

Everything slammed down hard again, like a dam bursting. At his feet now lay four innocent bodies…

…all your fault Robin… Jay…

…Robin, Joker's son…

…Batman…

It was over, though… all the children were dead…

…weren't they…?

"Harley!! Bring in another round!" the Joker called, kicking the blood-stained little forms aside like they were piles of rubbish.

New screams of absolute terror.

New, crushing dread in his own heart.

Four more kids, dressed in similar costumes, even more fearful as their eyes fell on the bloody, lifeless corpses of the children that came before them.

It had to end… it had to end here… His eyes clenched tight as he struggled for the name.

"Come on, Jay-Jay…" The Joker's voice sounded as though his patience was wearing thin. "Who's Batman!"

A name… a name…

Eyes opening, falling on that pink costume.

…have to save her… have to…

…Batman…

…B….

…Br…Bruce…

"Bruce…" he gasped as the memory gripped him, a face leaping into his mind's eye. "Bruce! BRUCE!"

The Joker froze, eyes focused on the girl in his arms. Slowly, but surely, his gaze rose to meet Robin's, looking blank, almost disbelieving.

"What was that…?" he asked vacantly.

"Bruce Wayne," the boy replied, his eyes alive with triumph, with purpose. "Bruce Wayne… is Batman…"

And as he said the entire sentence out loud, the total realization of what had just happened slammed home, drowning him in the freezing depths of his battered heart…

…particularly as he watched the diabolical sneer stretch across the Joker's chapped red lips… his eyes sparkling with absolute victory…

"Bruce Wayne?" the Joker asked carefully, as if committing to memory. "You mean the eccentric billionaire of Gotham… CEO of Wayne Enterprises?"

Robin swallowed hard, clenching his eyes shut in shame and bowing his head. This seemed to be enough for the Clown Prince of Crime, as his maniacal laughter began ringing through the room like chanting in a monastery, the sound enveloping him completely, tearing apart his soul, piece by piece.

Oh god… what have I just done…?

Every memory he still had of Bruce began flickering to life on the movie screen of his mind… a handsome face… strong, resolute, determined, kind, though stubborn…

…the man who took him in when his life fell apart….

…the man that made him Robin… let him live the life of a hero…

…the man he'd let down when he left… but whom he knew was still secretly proud of him and the Titans…

…and now the man… he just sold out to his greatest enemy…

…the man was now good as dead…

…"_Everyone you care about… you destroy…."_

….A gunshot echoed through his grieving ears, and he snapped his head up in absolute shock.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I TOLD YOU HIS NAME! _I TOLD YOU!!!"_

"Yes, but now, you're going to tell me everything!" the Joker replied coolly as he dropped the girl's dead body to the ground, grabbing the next child and swinging the gun around. "Absolutely everything.

Robin stared up into those cold, relentless red eyes, then dropped his head, dropped his shoulders, dropped his heart and mind, completely defeated.

…he was already traitor… a complete traitor…

…please forgive me, Bruce… please…

…tell him everything…

…everything…

…no more…

…I'm sorry….

* * *

**A/N**

*peeks out from the bunker she built in preparation for this chapter*

Um… hi guys… I, um… I'm sorry I killed off the adorable little OC girl… Blame Fullmetal Alchemist. They did the same to me…. *sniffle sob*_ Ninaaaaa…. _

And lookie there… the Joker knows Batman's greatest secret now. *scoffs* Way to go Robin.

...aaaanywho…. Tell me what you think. Seriously. This chapter deserves it… and I really want to know if I pulled it off right… This (and the next chapter) are the most important of the story. So, you should, at this point, either be a) bawling, b) completely braindead, or c) wanting to end my life. Preferably all three. :P

I heart you all. I'm so glad I'm this far... here's too much more angst to come. I'll try not to make it such a long wait next time.... but it wont be a very quick update, sadly. I'm still quite busy. :( I know. You hate me even more now....


	44. Breaking Point

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 44:** Breaking Point...

**Disclaimer: **The author is not responsible for any injury or death resulting from a reader's failure to remember to breathe during the course of this chapter. Also, I do not own any characters.

**Author's Note: **There's no turning back now.... enjoy the angst.... got lazy with the Titans portion, so tell me if I massively screw something up factually speaking...

…I really should be studying… or painting… argh…

* * *

"Beast Boy wants to WHAT?!"

Cyborg spun around wildly in his chair away from the large computer screen decorated with Kid Flash's handsome face, staring at Bumblebee incredulously with his jaw hanging towards the floor. Speedy, Aqualad and Menos sat around the big table with him, turning to look at her as well, the conversation concerning the villain-overrun of Jump City suddenly interrupted.

"He told me he wants to quit the Teen Titans," she repeated, frowning at the cybernetic teen on the other side of the table. Cyborg stared at her a long moment, his face blank and horrified, and then, with a cry and sweep of movement, he slammed his hands down on the table, causing his coffee mug to teeter over the edge and shatter on the floor.

"Cyborg!" Speedy cried out, leaping away as coffee nearly splattered his crimson uniform.

"Sparky…" Bumblebee murmured, her usually stern face wrought with concern as she stepped towards the mechanical teen as he bent over the table with his hands gripping his temples.

"This is a nightmare…" he grumbled to himself under his breath. "Beast Boy wants to quit, Raven and Starfire are both terribly injured, we're no nearer to finding Robin than when we started, and the town we're supposed to be protecting is overrun by every villain we've ever faced!!

No one spoke, the tension in the room growing almost unbearable.

"That bad… huh…?" Kid Flash murmured from the computer screen, his ordinarily carefree, smiling face darkening like storm clouds obscuring the sun.

"Cyborg…" Aqualad spoke up, turning to look at him with the utmost seriousness. "You're wrong. We are nearer to finding Robin. We know that the Joker has something to do with his disappearance."

"Yeah, the Joker," the large Titan spat, lifting his mismatched eyes to focus on the Atlantean before him. "We figured that out _**before**_ we went on that suicide mission into the HIVE Headquarters. In case you forgot, he wasn't there. We don't know where to find him, or who else he may be working with, or what he has done to Robin. It's been three days since Blood, three days since we last knew how Robin was doing…. For all we know… he could be…"

"Don't even go there, Cyborg…" Bumblebee warned in a soft voice, her dark eyes overcast with worry. "Just don't… you shouldn't even think it… he's alive, and we'll find him. We just have to have faith that he's going to hold out til then…"

"He's tough," Speedy spoke up, in a solemn tone that grabbed everyone's attention. He glanced around at them, his face set with determination. "He's Robin. We all know how stubborn he is. There's no way he's going down. Not when he knows we're out here looking for him."

"Look, guys," Kid Flash suddenly spoke up from the computer screen, frowning deeply. "I hate to be a pest – well, no, I usually love it, but anyways: Jump City isn't doing well – I need backup."

"¿Tan malo es?" Menos asked, seeming lonely and out of place at the big table without his twin brother.

"It's falling apart. A ragtag team of villains broke everyone out of jail, someone named Dr. Chang is holding a bunch of people hostage, Cinderblock and Plasmus are ripping up downtown, Red X is hitting every bank and vanishing before I can get my quick little hands on him…" He sighed, looking exhausted. "Seriously. You guys need to get here. N… now…"

His voice trailed off, his eyes lifting to another part of the screen, their blue depths widening in disbelief.

"H-hi…" Jinx said softly from where she stood at the command center door, looking up at Kid Flash sheepishly, guiltily even.

"Jinx??" he gasped, blinking a few times down at her, his previously dark face brightening. "I… uhm…" He suddenly shook his head, as though to snap himself out of it, his face growing firm once more as he pointed a finger at her. "Later…"

She nodded in agreement, looking around. "So we need people at Jump City? I'm there."

"And me too…" Cyborg said sternly, glaring down at the table, his hands curling into fists. It was the last thing he wanted to do… leave his teammates behind… but he was the only Titan from Jump City who was ready and able to fight… he had to…

" And Herald will be here in ten to transport everyone there," said Aqualad, looking up from his communicator.

"Four of us… that should be enough," Kid Flash said, nodding his head. "Then the rest of you guys can help out Bumblebee if she encounters any kind of problem…"

"And to take care of the others…" Cyborg murmured in a quiet voice, looking up at Bumblebee with a meaningful stare, every worry and concern jumping to his face a moment before vanishing once more.

Bumblebee nodded, understanding.

"So, right when Herald gets here, yo—"

Red lights began to flash through the Tower. Every last Titan spun around, super alert as the sirens deafened them.

"Trouble?" gasped Jinx, pink eyes widening.

"No, that's not the right siren," Aqualad said, growing grim as he got to his feet. "That's…"

"Raven!" Bumblebee gasped, sprinting for the door. The others looked at each other in horror before racing off after her, towards the hospital wing.

Raven was flatlining….

Screams echoed through the hallway as they approach the wing.

"No! Raven! Stay with me! Don't leave me!"

They tore through the door, all of them trying to fit through it at once. Bumblebee was one of the first through, and she flew forward towards the end of the long room, to Raven's bed. By the ceiling hovered Starfire, bandages, tubing and all, looking down at what was happening unseen behind the curtains with her hands gripped to her face in absolute horror. As the Titans East leader rounded the wall of curtains, she came to an abrupt halt in midair, her heart freezing at what she saw.

The sight was heart-wrenching… flaring, flashing lights, screeching monitors… and Beast Boy, gripping onto Raven's shoulders, shouting into her gray, motionless face at the top of his lungs, as though that would make her hear… as though that would call her back…

Cyborg was moving forward, mind fully focused on Raven. He reached beside her, grabbing for the defibrillator beside her bed.

"Beast Boy," Starfire gasped tearfully, touching down beside them, grabbing her green friend desperately, trying to pull him away so they could attend to Raven. Beast Boy tried to fight her off, trying to stay close to Raven, but the orange alien was stronger, even injured as she was; though she winced in pain, she easily pulled the green changeling off Raven, holding him back.

"No—getoff! Raven! RAVEN!" he screamed desperately, clawing at her arm.

"Beast Boy, you musn't—"

Beast Boy froze in Starfire's arms, staring in horrible shock as the rest of the Titans surrounded them, watching with lost breaths as Bumblebee tore Raven's hospital gown apart, revealing her in ways Beast Boy never wanted to see… he closed his eyes tight, pressing himself against Starfire's bandaged chest, not wanting to see what would happen, not wanting to witness any of this… but he heard the loud, crushing thunderclap of the defibrillator as Cyborg pressed its pads to her chest, trying to jumpstart her heart, jumpstart her life. Another crashing thud of it sounded, exploding in Beast Boy's own chest, stabbing into the hole that was forming in his heart.

He didn't want this… he didn't want to watch her die…

…it was all his fault…

With rushed, crazed panic, he tore himself out of Starfire's grip.

"Beast Boy! Wait!"

He was running, a monstrous gorilla, throwing aside Aqualad in his haste to get away. He managed to rip down some of the curtains as he stumbled, his legs confused with blind panic as he grabbed his head, giving a loud roar of anguish that reverberated through the room. Starfire and some of the others shouted for him, the red-haired teen clamoring through the crowd of Titans after him, but he was already out the door.

"Let him go!" Speedy barked at Starfire, a streak of irritation in his voice. She spun and looked back at him; he was bent over Aqualad, who was crumpled in a heap beside a broken table, cut from flasks that had shattered with the impact. A slam of electricity hit Raven again. People were shouting, monitors blaring, insanity. She spun back towards the door. The turmoil, the sirens, the shouts…the horrible, earth-shattering realization of what was happening… it was all too much…

Something inside her cracked, and she dropped to her knees with a loud sob, gripping her head, not even caring how much her body hurt at the movement… her head and her heart hurt far worse… tears streaming freely down her blistered cheeks.

"The world's ending," she wept. "The world's ending."

"No, Starfire. No." Menos carefully gripped one of the less injured portions of her arm. "¡No usted, tambien!"

Another clap of thunder slammed through the room.

And the long, piercing cry of the monitors suddenly broke, followed by a regular, beautiful melody of beeps.

No one spoke for the longest moment, just listening to that sound. Starfire turned slowly, looking up, towards the others, towards the hospital bed, the monitors, taking it all in….

She was okay… Raven was okay….

She got slowly to her feet and took long, careful strides back to Raven's bedside. She swallowed as she stared down at her dear friend, at her pale face, her beautiful hair. Starfire's eyes glanced up at Cyborg, who was still clutching the paddles of the defibrillator, breathing heavily, face a mixture of sorrow and relief as he stared down at the girl laying before him. He looked near tears as he blinked up towards the ceiling, closing his eyes a moment in silent prayer before returning the paddles to their resting place. He then leaned over Raven, laying a palm on her head.

"Don't you dare scare us like that again," he whispered softly into her ear, barely loud enough for the rest of them to hear it. Starfire swallowed again, a horrible lump in her throat. She wished she could say something similar, but her voice utterly failed her. Instead, she reached out a hand, gripping Raven's tightly, and hoped the unconscious girl got the message… She looked up again, and this time Cyborg's gaze met hers. Starfire's lower lip quivered, despite herself. She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth as her emotions began to overflow again. She didn't know exactly which emotions they were… terrible happiness that Raven was alive, or bitter sadness that any of this had to happen at all….

"Star," Cyborg said softly, walking around the bed to her side, wrapping his arms very carefully around her. She pressed her face against his cold, smooth metallic chest, trying to get herself back under control…

"Herald will be here any minute…" Cyborg managed to utter after a moment, voice strained. He took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm his own nerves as he released Starfire from his embrace. He looked over at the dark-skinned girl still standing across the bed from them, and then down at the violet-haired girl laying on the bed. "You… you take care of her, kay Bee? Let us know if anything happens."

"We will."

Cyborg looked around at the others, and then finally at Jinx, who'd been standing towards the back, feeling out of place. She gave a curt nod. "Let's go…"

With one last look back towards Raven and Starfire, Cyborg hurried from the room, his face going to stone as he looked at his communicator in his arm, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

Starfire watched after them, trembling a little, the ache of her body coming back with a vengeance, causing her to sit weakly into a nearby chair. "Someone should go find Beast Boy," she said meekly, looking towards the door and back. "Let him know that Raven is okay…"

Bumblebee nodded at her, and then looked at Aqualad, Speedy and Menos. "You guys - go look for Beast Boy. We're going to keep an eye on Raven."

"What for?" Speedy grumbled. "He'll be back."

Bumblebee shot him a dirty look. "Go look for him," she spat with the utmost authority, pointing Speedy out the door.

"Okay okay, sheesh!" And with that, Speedy swept from the room.

"What about you?" Bumblebee asked the other two.

"I…I think I may need stitches…" Aqualad grumbled, his hand gripping his side, where there was plenty of blood from a cut he'd received from a broken glass.

"Y quiero estar con mi hermano ..." Menos said softly, pointing towards where Mas lay, no doubt insanely curious or scared about what had just happened. Bumblebee sighed and waved him off, then gestured for Aqualad to sit, so she could take care of his injuries.

_How did everything come to this…? _She wondered.

Robin…

_You better not give up on us, Boy Wonder… not after all this… _

_Please...  
_

* * *

There were eight now… eight unmoving bodies… dressed in Titan attire… dead on the groun… The three that had remained when questioning had started? Killed, mercilessly, when he'd taken too long to answer a question… even if the pause was simply to take a breath…

Now, a fresh quartet stood ready for the one-man firing squad…

…sobs… screams… terror… anguish….

...young, innocent lives going out one by one, like flames on a candelabra when the day was done….

…no more… please… no more….

His fragile, tired mind felt like it was being torn apart, layer by layer, with every question the Joker asked… the questioning, the digging around for information in a mind already in disarray… It was as though the Joker had yanked open the filing cabinets of his brain, the drawers labeled "Memories" and "Secrets," and had begun wrenching out the contents and hauling it all out in wheelbarrows, leaving behind only scattered, half-complete files littered across the floor…

…he told him everything… everything that popped into his head… everything the Joker could ever have wanted to know… the origin of Batman… the location of the secret lair in stately Wayne Manor… every secret code he knew for the gadgetry… all of Wayne's little personality quirks…. his weaknesses… his losses… his secrets… and even how Robin fit into it all… and how, and why, Batman joined the Justice League…

…he had to tell him everything…. _Everything…_

…the four new kids… their terrified shrieks…

…nothing else mattered… not the rough, ragged pain of his throat that felt like it was caused by someone rubbing it with sandpaper with every syllable…

…nothing else mattered... not the way his wrists burned from the ropes, or how his shoulders complained from his weight forced upon them so long…

…nothing else mattered… he had to just keep on talking…

…he didn't matter… not anymore…

…but they did…

…and couldn't let anyone else suffer and die… not again… no more…

…after all… Bruce… he could take care of himself…

He was explaining Alfred's role in Wayne's life, now… and friends… the ones still alive… the Joker wanted to know….most likely to use to blackmail…

…oh god… Alfred… Bruce…

…just the slightest hesitation in his babbling, and another child's brain was splattering to the floor in a clap of gunfire, causing Robin to jerk violently, as though it were his own body being gunned down, his eyes staring wildly into nothing as he spoke on and on.

Voice long ago hoarse… his breaking mind turning on the auto-pilot…

…and on he went, talking… just… talking…

…even when he ran out of the big important stuff… just rambling on… about cases they'd done… about villains… slipping into the topic of Titans at one point…

…just talk until he gets sick of hearing it….

…or until the well of information went dry…

…until he had nothing more to say…

Before he knew it, before he was ready, that time came… nothing else to say… and he was shaking… his mind near its end… his stubbornness, his will to live even, having slipped away bit by bite, spilling out with every secret sentence he'd revealed…

…you just sold him out… you just sold him out completely, Jay…

…everything in your life is meaningless now… you have no purpose anymore…

Except… those kids…

….that was all it took to keep the last vestiges of his mind intact…

"…that's all… that's everything…" he croaked in a muted, dead tone, still staring outward, his gaunt face emotionless save for the frozen smile and the dried riverbeds of tears along his cheeks.

A long silence….

"I don't believe yooou," the Joker proclaimed in a sing-song voice, and he pressed the gun to the arm of the next child on death row, firing a shot that shattered through the boy's arm and causing an unbearable screech of pain to echo through the chamber.

"Please!" the slipping teenager gasped, pressing himself forward against his restraints, his whole body shaking even more violently than it had been for the last hour or two. His eyes were wide and watering again. "Please stop! Please! I've told you everything! Everything! I swear!"

"Oh no you didn't! You left out the most important piece of information!!" the Joker said dramatically, swinging the gun around. His act was only met with a haunted, confused look from the white-faced boy. The clown released the bleeding child, who crumpled to the ground with a long wail, and then came prancing up to the madly smiling Robin. He halted just before him, glancing around before leaning in, as though this were a great, important secretive thing to ask, beyond even the codes or the history or the identity.

"Boxers… or briefs?" he finally hissed, eyes sparkling.

A look of irritation crossed the little Joker-esque face. "Boxer-briefs," he responded in a dull voice, the tiniest hint of hatred betrayed in his sunken eyes. "Now… let them go…."

The Joker's laugh reverberated in his head as the clown turned around and aimed the gun at the crouched-over child, expertly blowing a hole straight into his little skull and causing him to collapse to the floor with his ragged breathing suddenly silenced, his tiny muscles going slack. Robin couldn't help but cry out in horror.

"That was everything! I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING!" He was screaming, but his voice came out only as croaking, ragged gasps. "PLEASE STOP!"

"Yes, I believe you did," the Joker said thoughtfully, stroking his chin with long, slender gloved fingers, his broad back still turned to the tortured Boy Wonder. He turned to look at the young boy, and the sparkle that adorned those malicious, blithe eyes created a dreadful feeling in Robin's gut far worse than any other he'd felt yet. The hairs on the back of his neck stood completely on end, his spine seizing up.

What… what was he…?

Two quick gunshots later, the last two young lives had been extinguished.

Tears were streaming down his cheeks once more, and he was yanking hard against the ropes, eyes wild. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!" he screeched.

"You're a very good boy, Jay," the Joker said in a soft, sweet tone that made the whole world seem encased in ice. "And you know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Oh, Harley!"

"Yes, Snookums?" said Harley, her head appearing at the door.

"Send the rest of the kids in, will ya?"

Robin watched the Joker with wild, incredulous eyes, the warning bells in his busted mind sounding the alarm…

…_rest of the kids…?_

"All of them?" his girlfriend asked.

"Yes, dear, all of them."

And they started filing in, chained together as before, in groups of four… two… three… four… five groups…

….twenty more children….

Their mouths weren't duct taped this time…. Their screams of terror were beyond anything he'd heard before, as they saw the other twelve children lying in a mingling pool of their combined blood on the concrete floor.

"What are you doing?!?!" the captive teen cried out once more, struggling desperately against the hold of his restraints, a grimace of absolute panic mingling with the terrible smile that branded his face. "_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?!"_

"I like to play fair," the clown declared light-heartedly. "To let some kids go alive and some remain dead, that's just not fair, now, is it? It's an insult to the poor dears who gave their lives earlier today." He gestured down at the pile of little corpses, who stared up at Robin with blank, empty stares.

The broken Titan's leader shook his head in cold shock, tears running fresh once more, his entire insides drowning in the deepest pool of sorrow.

…no… he wouldn't… he-he couldn't…

"No… no… NO!" Robin cried out frantically of their shrieks. Harley shut the door on them; the Joker loaded his gun. "_No!_ You said if I told you, you'd let them go! You _said!_"

"Actually, I said nothing of the sort," the Joker called out calmly over the children's renewed screaming, aiming his gun at the nearest group. "Besides, my little Joker Junior… this is for your own good."

The gunfire rolled immediately, like thunder, deafening his ears even over the chorus of screams… from both the children, and his own throat…

"Mama!" some screeched, sobbing hysterically as the Joker took down others around them, the clown not even trying to fire where it would kill them, just shooting with abandon... young bodies writhed on the floor with bullet wounds in limbs, stomachs, chests, backs... all screaming with the pain, screaming as their lives slowly began trickling away with their blood. "Mommy…! Daddy…! Help…!" Those who had avoided getting hit so far either stumbled around, bumping into each other as they struggled to get away, or were sitting ducks, connected to fallen children, unable to pull them to get away… but there was nowhere to run away to in the small chamber, anyway… nowhere to hide…

…they screamed "Mommy."

And Robin was screaming with them… screaming at the top of his lungs, thrashing hysterically against his ropes, wanting them to break, wanting them to snap so he could do something, anything…. Fresh blood dripped down from where his bindings rubbed his wrists raw, but he didn't care…. He poured all his energy into screaming, into flailing against his restraints… madly shrieking bloody murder, as one by one, more innocent young lives dropped dead before him…

…make it stop… please make it stop… no more… god, no more….

…He cried out, with all his strength, for it to end… please, just let it end… Why didn't God to appear to stop this? Why couldn't the devil pick this time to swallow up the earth and end the pain? Why couldn't his body finally give out on him, after fighting so long to keep on living…

…Why couldn't he just die…?

Why not him, instead of them…?

It… it wasn't fair… he was alone now… he had no purpose… his life was over… but they… they were so young, with so much left undone…

…another gunshot, another terribly cry of agony and terror…

…he wanted to be free of this… to free them from this…

…but he couldn't stop it… he couldn't save them…

…he was no hero…

…no more… oh please, no more…

The Joker's shrieking, homicidal laugh surrounded him, enveloped him, entombed him. It seeped into him, pooling at the center of his body, becoming the void that was growing as his very soul poured out through his screaming throat….

This wasn't happening…

Another girl falls dead…

Please, God, end this…

Everyone you've ever cared for…

Tears of pain

End it…

Jay… the Joker's son…

No more… no more….

...please…

…hanging against the ropes, head tilted back towards the ceiling…

…he was slipping…

…this was it…

…another gunshot…

…another shriek of pain

…another life gone forever…

…still screaming…

This was it…

…the smell of blood…

…fading cries…

…strained please for mercy….

…unheeded…

…his soul washing away with theirs….

This was it…

…death…

…pain…

…insanity…

…the end…

…no more…

This was it….

…he had reached the end….

…his breaking point…

…this was all he could take…

…another gunshot…

…another tiny deathrattle…

…this was it… no more…

…no more…

…no more…

…no more….

No more.

…

With one final scream of anguish, his mind shattered

…completely.

…splintering into nothingness…

* * *

…Sweet, blissful nothingness…

* * *

The Joker's laughing subsided, the smell of gunpowder and blood swimming around him, intoxicating him. At his feet lay nearly thirty dead children… dead as dust. He chucked the gun aside and looked over at his young captive, his smile stretching wide.

The boy hadn't moved or made a sound in the past few minutes. He hung limp against his restraints, blood dripping down his arms from the ropes… he must have rubbed them raw with his thrashing about… and the blood the Joker had smeared on the boys lips was still there, drying a dark shade of crimson. It looked like lipstick… and with his chalk-white skin… the boy looked exactly like the villain facing him… a Joker Junior…

And then Joker saw his eyes… wide, haunted eyes, staring into nothingness, with nothing to be seen behind them…. The Gotham villain stepped a little closer, waving a hand before the vacant gaze.

"Jay…?" he asked, a little concerned. The boy didn't move, made no indication whatsoever that there was anything going on inside his mind…. His eyes didn't even falter. For a moment, the Joker wondered if the boy had died…. But no, he was still breathing…. Just in shock…

Total and complete shock.

A slow smile broke across the Joker's face, his eyes twinkling with absolute madness as he stared into that empty stare.

There was no one home…

A chuckle rose in his throat once again as understanding dawned on him…

…Robin, Batman's former sidekick, the leader of the Titans, and the most stubborn boy on the face of the planet… was done... gone… kaput…

The madman turned on his heel, fighting to keep from laughing as he strolled from the room.

"I'll let you say your goodbyes, Jay-Jay," Joker said calmly at the door, looking back at him. Then he added to himself, as he walked away, "And Happy Birthday…"

It wasn't too long after the Joker retired that a low, sterile laughter could be heard in the solitary room…

* * *


	45. Lost

**Teen Titans: Return of the Joker**

**Chapter 45:** Lost

**A/N:** Sorry about the absence guys… it's been a very… hard past couple of months, for me and for other people I know… although the "for me" part is what affects this story... for the most part, with some exceptions… so thanks for your patience. It's summer break now, so I hope to update more often than I have been… although I do have some technical difficulties that are interfering… stupid computer… I'm also a little fuzzy on the next part of the story… I have a BUNCH written for the next BIG part, but _getting_ to the next BIG part is a bit hazy in my head… hopefully I'll get it sorted out right.

Man, I feel sorry for anyone reading this story all at once… because I'm just going to keep up this momentum of awfulness a bit… it's kinda what I do best… I hope it doesn't make any of you too upset with me than you already are…

* * *

Stumbled steps…

…panicked steps…

…lost steps…

…where was he?

Staggering through doors, blindly running…

Running away…

…away to where…?

Reaching a dead end… unable to run anymore… He pressed his back up against the wall and slid down it, panting, crying. Didn't even notice when he accidentally knocked a towel rack to the floor, unable to hear its clamor through the wall of his despair.

What had he done? Trembling as he sat upon the cold tile floor, his body quaking with terror, with anguish… he felt sick, felt like a fever had gripped him, the air of the room feeling unbearably cold… his mind a hazy fog…

This had to be a dream… just a lingering nightmare…

He could still hear the long tone of a heart gone still… could still feel her cold skin against his…

Could see her face from when the blast had torn through her…

"Oh, God…" Beast Boy wept as he clutched his green hair beneath quivering hands, his knees pulling up towards his chest. "Oh, God, this can't be happening…"

Raven was dead. She had to be… the way she hadn't moved in days… the way the others had been looking at her… and that relentless, lifeless held note of a heart monitor… a terrible tune now permanently trapped in his head…

He cried out with a wail and leaned over his knees, rocking back and forth a little bit, gripping his head so tightly he was sure it would cave in under the pressure. It was too much… just too much… all of this…

What have I done…?

…she's dead… she's dead, all because of me…

That's right… all because of me…

…you killed her…

…you murderer…

A terrible lurching of his stomach… he almost didn't make it to the toilet in time, leaning over it, gripping it with spasming hands as he emptied out what little half-digested food he had… His body shook violently as he hung his head over the bowl, panting, spitting out the last crumbs and acid… he gagged at the leftover taste, fumbling blindly for the handle, the toilet flushing and washing all the sickness away… He remained bent over the bowl for a long time though, simply breathing, dry heaving at times, but there was nothing left in his stomach to throw up. Finally, after what seemed like a long, long time, he slowly leaned back, resting his bottom on his heels and dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, still trembling fiercely, a slowly drying trail of tears still streaked down his green cheeks.

…this isn't happening…

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, even just the smallest bit, so he could stand and make his way to the sink, nearly losing his balance through the trek. He turned on the water and cupped his hands beneath its current, pulling a pool of water up to his mouth and dragging in a sip. He rinsed his mouth, spat it out, and then threw another handful of water up to his face, the moisture of his tears suddenly camouflaged as the cold water hit his burning skin. He sniffled and sobbed as he lifted his head, shakingly staring into the mirror that sat before him.

His eyes widened a little at his paleness, at his disheveled hair, at the terrible look in his eyes… he swallowed hard, that terrible taste of stomach acid still lingering. He leaned over the countertop with his elbows resting upon it, pressing his hands against his face with a groan.

Some Titan you turned out to be… can't even protect your friends…

A sudden sob racked his chest. Shut up, he told his brain. Just… shut up.

No.

Beast Boy opened his eyes, staring at the sink, a little alarmed. What the hell…? He lifted his gaze slowly, his body still shaking perceptively.

And his reflection looked back at him with a smug little smile.

…"What the hell…" he breathed out loud, eyes widening.

"Weak… useless… helpless… hopeless…. You're scum, Gar. Total and complete scum…"

His reflection was talking to him… Beast Boy stared at it transfixed, his mouth falling open.

And his reflection laughed. "They'll never forgive you for this, you know… never… it's all your fault she's dead… all you're fault she's gone… And they'll never forgive you…"

"Sh-shut up…" Beast Boy whimpered, leaning over the sink and grasping his head, dread clutching him. What the hell was going on…? This… wasn't real… he had gone into shock… his brain was just playing tricks on him…

"In fact, everything has been all your fault… all of them… Terra… Mom and Dad… now Raven…"

"Oh, God, shut up…" Beast Boy growled, clutching his head tighter, a fresh stream of tears pouring down his cheeks. "Shut up shut up shut up…"

And laughter rung in his ears… his own voice, laughing like it was all the greatest joke in the world… but it was terrible, dark, menacing… it cut his chest apart, and he cried out in total anguish, eyes springing wide, staring manically at the counter. "SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!"

But the laughter didn't stop… it only grew louder, echoing around him, penetrating his head and his heart with an incredible darkness. He was shaking even more violently, feeling like he was going to snap.

"It's not like she liked you anyways…"

"_SHUT UP!!!"_

Everything went white… he heard the brilliant choir of glass shattering, interrupting that laugh for a moment, and that was it… just whiteness, for what seemed like an eternity…

…and then, he was lying on the ground, fighting to breathe… he was drenched, the whole floor of the bathroom submerged in a good inch of water, more raining down from where the toilet had once stood intact… the shower curtain sprawled on the floor beside him… everything half-destroyed… he swallowed hard, feeling dizzy and faint, closing his eyes a long moment, still unable to breathe. Eyes opening once more, blinking through blurry vision, he stared through half-lidded eyes at his hands and arms, resting on the floor before him… glass was deeply embedded into his skin, his uniform tattered and torn… his gaze fell upon a particularly large shard of glass sticking out from his arm. It looked painful. All of it did. And yet, he didn't feel a thing…

…That laughter was still there… had it even stopped when he blanked out…? His eyes narrowed a little at the glass shard in his arm… the glass of the mirror… his own reflection… that was the source of the laughter, wasn't it…? A tired, bloody hand fumbled, his fingers sliding, barely able to achieve a firm grip on the piece, but somehow, he was able to pull it free… it was almost a relief to do so, a feeling of euphoria passing over him as he dropped the bloodied shard of glass to the ground… _There we go_ he thought with a soft sigh, as though he'd just turned up the thermostat, or put his feet up… he felt more at ease as he dropped his head, watching red blood pour from the new wound, dribbling to the ground, creating fantastic, beautiful swirls in the water that surrounded him.

But… he realized it slowly, his heart faltering in his chest… the voice wasn't gone… it was still laughing, still speaking…

"You are the one who deserves to die… not her… she means more to this world than you ever will…"

…but… it was him who spoke this out loud… he felt his throat rumble as his voice croaked it to the empty, half-demolished bathroom… empty save for that laugh…

…and as darkness pressed in upon him, blurring his vision, pulling him from reality, he realized… he was also the one laughing… it had grown faint, hoarse… but there nonetheless…

…had he been the one laughing the whole time…?

* * *

"I can't believe this…"

Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow, looked up from where he leant against a hallway wall, brought out of his thoughts by these words, and a slamming door. A white-haired, bespectacled, mustached man had exited the briefing room of the Gotham police department, rubbing his head and looking tired as he stormed down the hallway in his direction. Green Arrow pushed himself away from the wall.

"Got any new information for us, Commish?" he asked, frowning. A night of feverish searching by both police and superhero effort had brought up next to nothing. Over twenty kids missing, and no leads to follow, except for an ice cream truck. That should have been enough, except the ice cream truck was nowhere to be found, and no two kids seemed to be able to agree on what the lady who drove it looked like – and half the kids weren't even sure it was a lady. Typical of kids – too focused on their ice cream to care what a criminal ice cream truck driver looked like...

"Nothing. And you guys neither?"

Green Arrow shook his head in reply.

"Totally typical!" a voice snapped out, and the two men turned towards the source of the voice. A squat, round man was charging up to them, looking like someone had cheated him out of a poker hand.

"Not now, Harvey," Gordon groaned at the detective, but the plump little man didn't seem to hear him, bounding right up to them and looking seethingly up at Green Arrow.

"Just so damn typical, that Bats would take off on us at a time like this!" Bullock snapped with eyes narrowed. "If he was supposed to be Gotham's dark knight, why ain't he here to save those damsels in distress, so to speak?"

"Knock it off, Bullock. I'm serious," Gordon growled furiously. "Batman's not here because he's trying to keep the world safe."

"Other people's worlds, it sounded like, not ours! Ya heard the League's stupid excuse – off on a mission in another galaxy or somethin? What a crackpot story. Guy probably just—"

"While I love the tantrum, Detective," Arrow suddenly spoke up, eyes narrowing as he clapped a hand to his ear, "Could you put it on pause a second? Got a call."

The porkchop of a detective looked ready to punch Green Arrow in his hairy blonde jaw (as if he could even get that close), but Arrow turned and listened in. "Go ahead, Superman."

"_Got a lead – found the ice cream truck half-submerged in a muddy sewage ditch outside of town. Tell Gordon and his men to head on out to Route 89 and Tangerine Road."_

"Looks like they found the truck," Green Arrow reported, looking up at the two men. "Route 89 and Tangerine Road? Say it was in a sewage ditch."

"Sewage ditch, huh?" Bullock grumbled thickly, unwrapping a candy bar.

"Could be the Sewer King…" Gordon muttered thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "The guy escaped with those other prisoners during the Arkham transfer four months ago. Not surprised if this was his doing… Let's get moving!" he added, whipping out his walkie-talkie to relay the information to the patrol squad.

Green Lantern moved to follow, then noticed the detective still standing there munching on his Crunch bar, looking not quite ready to move out, eyeing the green vigilante with clear dislike. "What?!" he spat bitterly, mouth full of chocolate.

"I was just thinking it was good you're eating chocolate. I hear it's incredibly good at relieving PMS symptoms."

Bullock's eyes flashed dangerously, his empty hand lifting, clutching into a fist "You better watch it pal or I'll—"

"You'll what?" Green Arrow asked with a mocking smile, drawing himself to full height. This clearly had enough effect on the porky detective, who looked away sheepishly, though still full of loathing.

"Meh, whatever, just get out of my way, Robin Hood!" the detective spat as he moved to storm past Green Arrow, but the hero stepped to the side to block him.

"You know, probably wouldn't hurt you to be nice to people. They probably would treat you with more respect."

"I got all the respect I need," Bullock snarled as he shoved past Green Arrow, shoving the last of the candy bar into his mouth and throwing the wrapper on the ground.

"Right in that chocolate bar pocket of yours…" Green Arrow muttered with a smirk, letting the detective get a little lead before heading off after him.

He halted a moment as a few people crossed the hallway ahead of him, blocking his path. He watched them walk past – two policemen and another detective, escorting two parents and a older boy. He suddenly grew solemn, as the woman noticed he was there, their eyes meeting a moment.

They were one of the many families that was missing a child, theirs a little girl, maybe six years old. He'd watched them question her brother… Green Arrow nodded slightly towards her, and kept watching them as they stepped out of sight. He suddenly felt terrible… so many lives turned upside down. He could not even begin to imagine what it was like for them. For any of them.

_We'll find her…_ he thought to himself, wanting to yell it down the hallway to them, but strangely found himself unable to talk. _We'll find all of them. We'll bring them home safely. I promise._

And with that, he charged off after Gordon and Bullock… it wasn't like he had any other ride to the crime scene. Man, he thought, why didn't they leave Superman here? At least the guy could fly – didn't have to hail a taxicab to get around.

* * *

Speedy returned to his room and flopped down on his bed with a deep, long sigh, rubbing his head. The last couple of days had been so… brutal… He really didn't have a better word for it right now… no he did… fucked up pretty much summed it all up. The whole thing with Blood… so many Titans out of commission… and there was still a lot of clean-up and stuff happening with the old HIVE headquarters and the random teenage villains still running around. And he, as the only able-bodied Titans East member other than Bumblebee (who seemed hellbent on keeping watch over the injured) and half of the Mas y Menos team, was the one having to sort through it all… he hadn't even told Bumblebee yet that they hadn't found Blood's body yet… he didn't think they needed that on top of everything else.

He rubbed his head… his head was throbbing… he probably needed sleep, but he doubt he could get a wink after all that'd just happened, with Raven and all… He rubbed his eye, suddenly and inexplicably recalling the way Beast Boy had run out. He realized he hadn't seen the changeling since… although it'd only been an hour or so ago. The kid would be back soon, no doubt. Probably just needed to get himself together.

He sighed and sat up, rubbing his head. His hair felt messy and gross… blech, he hated that. He reached over and grabbed a comb from his bedside table and began running it through his strawberry-shaded hair, laying it all back down flat with a contented smile.

Then he realized he heard something… running water, through the pipes in the wall… not that unusual, but he realized it'd been running for awhile. He sighed. This was only too typical – the twins often accidentally left water running… and sometimes on purpose. He stood up and growled, sliding his bedroom door open and stepping into the hallway.

…he could hear it. It didn't sound like a faucet running – it sounded like a shower or something. He headed down towards the sound, turning a corner and then hesitating in midstride as a sparkle of light caught his attention… the light of the hallway, reflecting in a massive puddle growing on the floor in front of the Twins bathroom.

"Darnit, Menos! If you decided to pull a stunt like this on a day like today it's going to be your LAST day… like… today…"

He'd reached the bathroom door, turning to look into it expecting to see the bathtub overflowing, and was completely stricken senseless by the sight… it took a long moment for anything to even register inside his head… the broken glass… the swirling red of blood… that ashen-green face…

"Oh. My. God," was all he could say, his eyes wide in complete disbelief at the destruction and the fallen boy. He splashed forward as soon as his body was able to respond to his commands again, dropping to his knees in two inches of water and pulling the green changeling over, shouting his name. But the green teenager didn't respond, his eyes closed… he almost looked like he was asleep… except he didn't even appear to be breathing…

"It can't be…" he whispered. He pressed two fingers to Beast Boy's jawline, feeling for a pulse. He was relieved when he found it, but quickly grew concerned again. His heart beat was barely detectable, and so slow… Speedy looked down at the boy's injuries, at his hands, completely covered in blood, at the cuts and scratches all over his arms and face… one in particular was still bleeding heavily… how long had he been… what'd happened…?

He was breathing heavily as he looked around, trying to piece it all together… his eyes took in the broken mirror, most of the glass gone, bits and pieces still connected to its frame on the wall… the toilet broken, towels and shower curtain torn and their hangers pulled to the floor.

It wasn't a fight… Beast Boy had done this…

His blood ran cold looking back down at the boy.

Was… did Beast Boy… had he tried to…

Speedy fumbled clumsily for his communicator, suddenly feeling panicked. "Bee! Bee! We have a situation here!"

"What is it, Speedy?" Bumblebee answered, sounding tired, almost bored, like she didn't believe anything else could go wrong.

"It's… it's Beast Boy. Bumblebee, I think he tried to kill himse—"

His words were interrupted by a strange sound. His masked eyes glanced down at the fallen boy in his arms, dumb stricken.

Beast Boy had awoken…

Except… it almost appeared that Beast Boy wasn't even home… his eyes were wide and unfocused, and… and he was laughing… that was what had interrupted him… laughter… he laughing like a complete, raving lunatic… laughing like when they'd found him in the HIVE headquarters…

…but how…? Raven had…

…hadn't she destroyed it…? Or had someone managed to get Beast Boy in the last hour…?

…either way…

"This is not good…" he whispered out loud as he fought desperately to keep a grip on the maniacally laughing boy, who'd begun to flail in his mania. "Oh, this is _really_ not good!"

* * *

It'd fallen quiet…

When the door opened, there was not a sound to be heard… well, that wasn't entirely true… a light wheeze, so faint that he was only able to hear it now thanks to the way death seemed to otherwise silence a room. Footsteps sloshed in the blood upon the floor, nudging aside small bodies to clear a path to the boy that still hung from the ceiling. No laughter anymore, but his eyes were wide open and staring at nothing, his mouth split in a wide, madman's grin. It was hard to tell if he was conscious, passed out, braindead, or dead… well, no, the wheezing would mean he wasn't dead… although that would be a hilarious prank… he would accept the death of his new son under circumstances like that…

"Wakey, wakey, Jay…" he spoke in a low murmur, resting his fingers almost caringly on the boys chin, forcing his head upwards. There was a small flicker of movement in his eyes, but they focused on nothing. A little burble of a laugh escaped the young boy's throat as the Joker leaned in. Surprisingly, joyously, the boy did not tense at any of this - at least, no further than he already was, anyway. Gotham's clown-like murderer smiled proudly, surveying the boy with a soft eye.

"It's going to be alright, Jay," the Joker said after a long moment. He even noted to himself a slight change in his own voice as he spoke, though his face grinned evilly as ever. "Let me tell you something, son… a little fatherly wisdom… memories can be vile, repulsive little brutes, can't they? You know this all too well… they love to pop their greedy little heads up, even when we thought we got rid of them…." The Joker paused a moment, turning to survey the carnage of a room. His eye caught something upon the spoiled, sticky wet floor beside him, and he bent over to pick it up. After wiping some of the crusted red blood away, he saw a grinning, familiar masked face staring up at him. He frowned a little in confusion, looking around. A plastic Robin doll? Where'd this come from?

He shrugged, and played with it absentmindedly as he continued, looking back towards Jay, who's head had dropped towards his chest, but he still appeared to be listening – as well as he could in his condition, anyway.

"But there is a way to get rid of the memories forever, Jay," the Joker went on, still softly, still with that wicked smile across his face. "And it's so simple. So very simple! It's simply that, when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable, remember, there's always madness. Madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away. Forever."

The madman suddenly snapped out a knife from his sleeve, reaching up and slicing cleanly through the blood-stained ropes that held the boy aloft. Immediately, he crumpled, and the Joker barely managed to catch him, slowly lowering him to the floor, leaning him up against the wall behind him. The villain squatted before the young boy's blank, smiling face, looked down upon him adoringly a moment.

"It's all going to be better now, Jay Jay," he said with a broad smile, brushing the boy's dark green hair from his forehead. "Just let all those painful memories go. You don't need them. Now, have a good rest, and tomorrow, we're going to have some REAL fun, okay sonny boy?"

Amazingly, the boy's smile widened, though no one appeared to be at home behind those wide, unblinking eyes. The Joker laughed maniacally and sprang up, making his way back to the door, closing it and pausing the hallway a long moment, still grinning.

_Just a little more marinating in the bloodbath_, he thought to himself, glancing down at the blood-soaked toy Robin in his hand with a chuckle. _And that is how you cook up a Joker child._

"Maybe I should write down the recipe…" he added out loud to his own thoughts, before chuckling to himself and stepping off down the hall, whistling and tossing the Robin doll up in the air as he went.

**---**

**A/N**

…I hope this part of the story wasn't too hard for some of you to read… sorry if it was. Btw, Green Arrow rocks, not gonna lie. Anywho, yup…


	46. Nothing Matters

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 46:** Nothing Matters

**Author's Note: **

No way… no way… is that… could it really be…?

A CHAPTER?!?!?1?!?!

OMGNOWAI!!! :D:D:D:D!!

XD Anyways, sorry about the extreme absence, you guys… a really harsh roller coaster ride titled life coupled with an extreme case of boyfriend-breaking-my-computer-and-Geek-Squad-sucking has kinda made me not want to write… especially cuz this segment of the story is still a little bit of a blur in my mind... like, I'm at point A right now (okay, more like Point Q), and I need to get to point B (or R), but I don't know what happens in between.... hopefully it'll just come to me. That's how the rest of this story has happened... I promise to start updating more frequently than in-a-blue-moon, kays?

ComicCon is in less than two weeks! Oh, you know I'll be representin' Mr. Jay-Man! …it'll just be with a (comic-style) Joker pin on a hat, because I can't sew XD BUT STILL! Hopefully I'll find massive more inspiration there amongst my fellow geeks, nerds and dorks. :3 omigod... it's gonna be SO HARD not to glomp EVERY JOKER, HARLEY AND ROBIN I SEE!!! ...especially Robin... XD Robins of San Diego Comic Con, watch out. I have a tendency to torture you....

Anywho… read and enjoy! You've all earned it!

* * *

Cinderblock.

This was what it had come down to… _Cinderblock??_

The past night and much of the day had been spent fighting… fighting every villain they could, helping the local police bring peace to Jump City… they took down Johnny Rancid, Kitten, Mother Mae-Eye, Adonis, Ding Dong Daddy, Dr. Light… they'd fought them, and had taken care of them… now it was down to _this? _A mindless, yet somehow sentient hunk of concrete?

He had better things to do…

"Seriously, man, you are Wasting. My. TIME!" Cyborg roared, sprinting forward and slamming his fist so hard into Cinderblock's chest the enormous hunk of rock went skipping across the warehouse floor like a stone across a still lake.

Of course, Cinderblock was anything but beaten. The giant stone monster heaved back to his feet with a chorus of ignorant grunts. Cyborg cried out again and lunged forward, barely even giving the other Titans the opportunity to fight… he just felt so overwhelmingly irritated… infuriated even… his power was weakening… he hadn't had a break in such a long time… no chance to rest or recharge…. so many fucking criminals to take care of… with a team that was hardly a team… and his real team… unavailable…

It was so hard not to think about them… not to worry about them, having left as abruptly as he did… just after Raven had… and with Starfire still injured… and Beast Boy distraught…

…and then, there was Robin…

He was terrified. Every last part of him was scared out of wits that, at any moment, he would be getting that call… that someone… that one of his best friends… one of his family…

It was like something out of a goddamned movie that his arm phone would be going off right at that very thought. His heart leapt to his throat as he stumbled backward, Cinderblock on the ground again, a chunk of cement dislodged from his shoulder the exact size of Cyborg's metal fist. The half-robot cursed loudly as he snapped his arm open, not bothering to answer the call on the screen there but instead snapping up a one-eared headset from a secret compartment within, attaching it to his human ear and getting back in stance to fight.

The others watched, completely dumbfounded, the large, dark teenager staring down Cinderblock with malice in his eyes, while wearing a shiny Bluetooth headset…

"Sparky… it's me… are you busy?" Bumblebee's voice came in through a haze of static.

"Not too terribly much," he lied. He looked up as he heard a cry, Cinderblock having gotten to his feet once more and charging at Jinx, who dove out of the way as Kid Flash came zipping forward, sending the huge creature flying once more. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

"Sparky… I hear fighting noises… oh I KNOW you ain't fighting and talking on the phone at the same time!"

"Yeah yeah, right, thanks, Mom!" Cyborg snapped in exasperation, ducking and narrowly avoiding a huge packing crate that came hurtling towards his head. He stumbled to a corner, hiding behind a bare piece of rebar, glancing around it to keep an eye on the battle, not wanting to be a sitting duck. "Now, talk to me… and it better be good news…"

Jinx was the closest to him… she had turned an ear towards him, managing to eavesdrop over the noise of the battle, an intent, concerned look on her face… Kid Flash and Herald kept their attention on Cinderblock, keeping him busy…

But the headset had gone quiet for a far longer pause than Cyborg ever wanted to hear… "Bumblebee…?" he asked after a moment, pressing two fingers to the headset, as though maybe if Bumblebee was talking, but he just couldn't hear her…

"It's… it's Beast Boy…" she said finally. Her voice did not sound good… and the chill that raced through his heart did not feel good either…

A flash of emotion must have crossed his face, because Jinx had turned to look at him full-on, cat-like eyes wide with apprehension.

"What… what about him? Did something happen?" Cyborg turned his head away towards the wall as he spoke, not wanting to see those pink eyes bearing into him as intently as they were… his body had gone numb, that boyish, wily green face flashing into his mind's eye.

Jinx shifted nervously where she stood, watching Cyborg with such a strong gaze that she worried she would short-circuit him. She glanced backwards to check the battle – Kid Flash had just tripped up Cinderblock, causing him to fall into a huge void created by Herald's horn – before inching closer to the mechanical Titan. His face was in shadow now, having turned it away from her, but she could see his glowing red eye, and could see it widen to full circumference as Bumblebee replied over the headset.

"He… he what…?" Cyborg's voice had faded to a dread-ridden whisper, but Jinx heard it somehow. She stepped closer, chewing on her lip, shaking her head with disbelief as she watched him slump towards the wall, pressing a hand against it to keep him standing. Something had happened… something awful… she could tell… But what had happened? Who were they talking about? …He?... So… was it Beast Boy? Or Mas? Aqualad? …or had they found Robin…?

It was times like these when she wished she hadn't switched sides – she never worried like this when it came to the other HIVE members….

"You… you can't be serious…" Cyborg muttered very quietly, voice tapering off. He was staring at the floor, looking close to collapsing under his own weight. "…it wasn't on purpose, w-was it?"

_On purpose…?_ Jinx mouthed those words. What was on purpose…?

"…is… is he going to be okay? When did he…"

A pause of silence as Bumblebee responded to him… a rush of wind fluttered Jinx's hair and skirt as she watched the cybernetic teen, Kid Flash zipping around her in the blink of an eye to build up momentum to hurl a blow at Cinderblock.

She felt sick.

Cyborg's face was completely sapped of its usual warm vibrancy as he stared at the wall in horror. "What do you mean…?" he murmured softly into the headset.

After another short moment, something seemed to snap in the older teen that made Jinx's stomach leap in terror. "_Bumblebee, what are you trying to tell me?!"_ he screamed suddenly.

Bumblebee had taken a deep breath through Cyborg's headset. "He's… lost his mind…" she finally managed to choke out. She was crying. Good god, she was crying? "Cyborg… there's toxin in his bloodstream… Joker toxin. We don't know if it was recent or if Raven just didn't get it all out… but… the laughter… he can't stop… he's unresponsive to anything we've… and… the antitoxin… it isn't…"

Cyborg tried to swallow, but couldn't. The files they had read flipped through his head, key words jumping out like they were made of neon lights…

…_Smilex Gas… toxin… permanent insanity… death…_

…_Beast Boy…_

"Okay…" he sighed in a breath, his eyes falling closed while the tips of his metal fingers dug hard into the metal wall to help him remain upright. He wanted to collapse to the floor, but he couldn't… he couldn't show such weakness… not during a time like this… he had to be strong… "I'm… I should… I need to be there… I'll have Herald—"

"No, Sparky," Bumblebee said, quickly getting a hold of herself. "No, you need to stay there. They need you there. If… if his condition worsens… we'll let you know… okay?"

Cyborg nodded silently, feeling everything falling apart around him… he couldn't listen to this anymore… he pulled the Bluetooth headphone away, shutting it closed, ending the call. He stared numbly at the floor, unable to move, the severity of the situation growing more and more prominent in his head.

Beast Boy had nearly killed himself… and he was… out of his mind…

…this was too much…

"Cyborg…?" He lifted his head slowly, seeing a pair of pink, catlike eyes watching him carefully. Jinx opened her mouth, as though trying to speak, but words completely failed her.

Suddenly, there was a loud cry of pain, and the two of them snapped their heads towards the fight that had gone on without them. Herald was the one who had cried out, his horn tumbling from his grasp as Cinderblock slammed him hard to the floor, gasping a cry as the huge monster pressed down violently, threatening to crush the Titan beneath his immense form.

Everything in Cyborg's head suddenly went serenely blank, the whole world suddenly nothing now. Somewhere, he was aware of himself charging forward, screaming out, lashing out… he was vaguely conscious of bringing the monster to the ground… somehow pinning his monstrous form beneath him… was only slightly aware of the feeling of cracking concrete beneath his knuckles… hardly noticing the other's calling his name…

Three pairs of arms somehow wrapped themselves around him… pulling him away… he tried to wrench himself from their grasp, to be allowed to continue… but then, the world slowly began to come back into focus, reality grabbing hold, voices gradually becoming understandable again…

"...take it easy… going to kill him…"

... he would never forget the way Cinderblock's face looked after that… the cracks in his cement surface… the holes exactly the size of his metal fists… corners of him crumbled to dust….

…but it didn't matter… he didn't care… after all, why should a mindless, soulless concrete monster be allowed to live, when every last one of his closest friends was dancing with death….?

…he only then noticed the streak of tears along the human side of his face…

…the world shifted out of balance as he dropped heavily to his knees, unable to hold back the cry that leapt from the bottom of his heart, the others still gripping him tight...

…why…?

…_why did it have to be this way…?_

_

* * *

_

_A circus rink…_

_He stood in the middle of it, staring up, up, up, towards the towering heights of the big top, its red canvas surface so far away it practically became the sky… Figures soared overhead, angels without wings, twisting, flipping, flying from swing to swing… if an audience had been there, they would have "Oooh"-ed and "Aaaah"-ed, but the seats were empty now, and no sounds could be heard but the chatter of a pair of clowns behind him and the shouts of the technical people trying to figure out a lighting problem across the _

_Birds… they're… birds… what else could ever soar like that…?_

_Darkness crept over the glowing tent, and in an instant, in a blink of an eye, they were gone forever. He could hear the shouts of horror from the audience that wasn't there, could see lights flashing, the circus musicians tuning in a dreadful siren. And now in the façade of sky in their stead, a familiar silhouette. Light illuminated him, casting that trademark shadow upon the red canvas, the same one he'd seen in the sky so many times, adorning the clouds… giant, graceful, immortal… winged but not a bird… fatherly, but not a parent… _

"_How'dya like that?" asked one clown behind him, and he turned to survey her - her white-painted face, her hat that chimed as she cocked her head to the side, looking up at the performer high above them. "Just who does he think he is?"_

"_Now, now, Poo," said the clown on his other side, bearing a terrible red grin as he watched the soaring winged shadow above. "You know perfectly well who he is… now…"_

_More shouts from a nonexistent audience…. a terrible, tumultuous cry of thousands experiencing a terrible tragedy… He turned his attention back to the sky… and the winged figure was gone… all the acrobats were gone… angels, which had now been freed… Nothing but clowns left… no more gasps of awe, no more screams of terror… just laughter… laughter at the funny faces… at the sight gags and over-exaggerated performances… everything was funny… and nothing mattered anymore…_

…_nothing mattered… he looked at his feet, at his own clown shoes, smiling, laughing with the rest of them… laughing with total abandonment, its sound echoing through all the emptiness that had taken over his mind and body and spirit… laughing, because that was all there was left to do… all he could do… nothing else mattered… nothing… _

…_no more acrobats… no more birds… no more bats… nothing flew anymore… perhaps even angels have fallen…_

…_everything he'd once known… the life he once had… it was all over now… _

…_just clowns… just laughter…_

_nothing else mattered…_

_The audience was chanting, hooting, hollering… Send in the clowns, they said._

_A pair of hands clapped him on the shoulders, greeting him, supporting him, congratulating him. He craned his head around to see a beaming, bright painted face watching him with the utmost pride, a gloved hand releasing its grip to gesture towards the lone lit ring before them._

"_On with the show…"_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N ver .21**

Hope it was worth the wait!!! Thanks all you diehard fans for sticking there for me! ...I continue to beg for my life and whatnot, those of you who love to threaten XD


	47. Looking Up

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 47:** Looking Up

**Author's Note:**

So, I thought it'd be fair to warn you guys… this story really is far from over…

I know, I know, I'm absolutely out of my gourd (duh). But this is such a long story, and I thought I'd just warn you guys just how much longer it's going to go…

I'm estimating another 20 chapters… XD Give or take maybe five chapters (I really don't know).

ALTHOUGH, you all know my chapters tend to be super-short, like, only a couple thousand words long. I try to do five or more pages of a Word document… although, they really get short when I'm desperate to update, like I am today. Cuz I REALLY WANT TO GET BACK INTO THIS!!! (And you should all be proud of me for doing so)

That being said, that means there's a whooooole lot more that's going to be happening…

:3 Thank you all for coming on this ride with me… and for being so patient… stay tuned - I wont disappoint you, I promise.

(Will I survive, though? …With all the death threats I get, what will happen when… well… we'll get there when we get there….)

(Sorry, I know I'm an enormous tease…. XD)

* * *

Bumblebee stood silently in the hospital ward, staring through a window into the soundproof room that held Beast Boy… soundproof because his insane laughter was more than she or any of them could bear to hear… That was, except for Starfire, who endured the sickening sound of his shrieks in order to sit by his side, injuries and all…

Although, if it'd been one of _her_ boys, Bumblebee reflected, she probably would have been doing the same…

Everything about this was just beyond belief… how sudden, and terrible… not only was the antitoxin refusing to work, but the incident in the bathroom had worsened his skull fracture, and the laughter made him thrash to the point he could endanger himself further... they had been forced to restrain him, his arms and legs bound to a hospital bed in tight leather straps, complete with a collar around his neck to negate his powers enough that he wouldn't shift forms in his mania…

…he was unaware of them… he was completely lost in his own mind… if he even had a mind left…

It was sickening. It truly was. All of it. Bumblebee growled down at the communicator in her hand, which she clenched so tightly her dark knuckles felt ready to burst.

What was more sickening was… she still hadn't been able to get a hold of the Justice League… it didn't make sense… it really didn't…

"Any improvement?" said a voice behind her. She suddenly snapped to attention, her scowl quickly hidden, turning to see Aqualad saunter in with a frown, his broken arm hanging helplessly before him in a sling and cast.

"No…" she murmured in a calm, yet defeated tone, her shoulders rising and falling as she released a quiet sigh. "This… just sucks so much…" was all she could say, and the two lapsed into quiet silence, observing the room before them.

She flipped the communicator open and closed a few times in restlessness, and she found her mind drifting, for about the hundredth time, to Cyborg… her mind just couldn't help but think about him… She stole a quick glance at Aqualad through the corner of her eye. She couldn't, in her wildest dreams, imagine going through what Cyborg was dealing with right now… everyone in his team… hell, she'd have a hard time coping with even one of her boys being injured like this… or kidnapped… she didn't know what she would do if _every single one of them _was this badly injured… even injury to the point of Starfire's burns was cutting it close for her…

Aqualad sighed, closing his coal-colored eyes for a moment. "Yeah… this really does suck…" he agreed, for lack of anything else to say. He looked out into the soundproof room again, his gaze focusing on the alien girl sitting beside the psychotic green Titan. Starfire looked over at them, most of her face and body covered with bandages, and yet, she managed a small smile, and held up a hand in greeting, as though happy to see them standing there, watching. Bumblebee chuckled a little and waved back, and Aqualad merely nodded in acknowledgement, looking a little less serious. "We haven't reached the end, though…" he continued thoughtfully. "We just have to hope that everything will be fine in the end, I guess. After all, Starfire is healing up well, and Raven is stable, and improving. And I know we'll find a way to bring Beast Boy back to himself…"

"I sure hope so…" Bumblebee murmured softly. "But… then there's Robin…"

Aqualad was silent a moment, still staring out into the room. "He's strong…" he finally said, firmly. "If anyone were to last this long, it would be him." He looked over at Bumblebee. "He will be found before it's too late. I'm sure of it…"

Bumblebee nodded again. "I hope so…" She felt like a broken record… but what else could she say…? "…I hope so…" she murmured once more, very quietly, to herself, crossing her arms and leaning against the window

This nightmare just needed to end.

"Mi Abejita! Señor Aqua!"

The two turned to see Mas jogging up to them hurriedly. He grabbed Bumblebee's hand and tugged, pointing back into the hospital ward. "Ven aqui! Ven aqui! Rapido!"

"What is it, Mas?" Bumblebee gasped, suddenly alert with concern. "Raven??"

"Van a ver!" he said quickly with his thick Spanish quip. Bumblebee began running, quickly bypassing the lone twin, Aqualad right at her heels as she rounded the curtains.

She looked up, and words completely failed her, her eyes growing wide as Aqualad met up beside them.

Raven was there… her monitors were fine, and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on… save for the fact her body was hovering a good foot off her bed.

"Wh-what does that mean…?" Bumblebee asked in a quiet, awestruck voice, circling the bed a little and stooping to stare through the space between the violet-haired teenager and her hospital bed.

"It means…" Aqualad breathed with a broad grin, bending to meet Bumblebee's gaze underneath Raven's levitating form, "She's healing herself…"

* * *

After Cinderblock had been taken in, and it'd been determined he would survive to serve another jail sentence (they just needed to plaster up his injuries), the defunct Titans team returned to Titans Tower. Cyborg had been very quiet through much of the ordeal, lost in himself with a dark yet vacant look on his face, retreating immediately to his room when they got home. The other three teens were concerned, but they were also all incredibly exhausted, and desperately needed whatever break they could get before they'd have to fight again.

Jinx sat on the large horseshoe-shaped couch in the huge common area of the tower, slumped with her head tilted back to rest on the top edge of the back cushions. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't quite asleep, her mind too alert and troubled to let her. Kid Flash was sprawled on the couch beside her with his head nestled comfortably on her lap, snorting loudly in a deep slumber. Herald had intended to rest out there with them, but ended up fleeing into one of the guest rooms away from Kid Flash's snores.

Jinx wanted to sleep, but she just couldn't. Her brain just wouldn't let her… she couldn't stop thinking about all that had happened… and her brain was convinced that this calm wouldn't last… there were still other villains out there they hadn't caught yet… it was only a matter of time til one of them made a move… what if they others slept through the alarms… or something…?

The sound of hydraulics snapped her to full awakeness, somehow managing to dampen her nerves enough not to jump and wake the sleeping speedster resting against her. She turned her head to look towards the entrance of the room to see Cyborg walking in, slumped a little at the shoulders.

"Hey," she said softly as he walked towards the kitchen. "Did you rest?"

"Takes me less than half an hour to fully charge," he said in a dull, matter-of-fact voice as he opened the fridge, and frowned into it – it was nearly empty, and what was there didn't look edible.

"Sorry," Jinx spoke up with an apologetic smile. "Kid Flash got to it already… all those battles took a lot out of him. Eating is his way of charging…"

Cyborg merely sighed, swinging the door shut and rifling through the cupboards, finally pulling an old bag of chips from the very back of one before sauntering over to the couch and taking a seat, hunching over and chomping on his stale snack. Jinx couldn't help but be struck by the lost look on his face as he frowned down at the coffee table.

"You okay?" Jinx asked quietly.

He looked over at her, as though surprised by her question. He just as quickly looked away, falling back into his curled over frown, pulling another handful of chips from the bag and surveying them absentmindedly. "Yeah…" he replied with a throaty grumble, letting the chips fall from his hand back into the bag. He pulled out another handful, but let them cascade back again, his mind completely lost in his own thoughts. "Yeah… I'm fine… but… this all just… sucks so much…" he ended with a scowl, crushing a new handful of chips in his fist, unclenching it to let a new handful of crumbs and dust fall back into the bag.

Jinx sighed and looked down at the redhead resting on her lap. She smoothed his hair out a little, and he snorted a little and shifted where he slept. She took a long breath. "I'm… really sorry about your friends, Cyborg…" she said in a soft voice, looking over at him, half expecting him to scoff and dismiss her, a former villain. Just the mere thought forced the insistent whine from her throat. "Really, I am—"

"I know," he said, not bothering to even glance at her, his gaze still focused on the bag of chips he was absentmindedly destroying. "Thanks, Jinx…" A small silence enveloped the room before he suddenly growled, setting the bag down a little too roughly on the coffeetable, causing it to flop over, spilling crumbs and broken chips across the table to the floor. He slapped a hand to his bald head, scowling deeply towards his chest. "God, I can't believe I lost control like that… I… I nearly killed…"

"It's okay," Jinx spoke up. "You were stressed—you _are_ stressed… I mean, if you _hadn't_ lost it like that, I'd figure there was something wrong with you…" She scratched her candy-colored locks sheepishly, hoping she was doing this whole "consoling" thing right.

It did seem to work, as his face relaxed the slightest bit. He glanced over at her. "Thanks, Jay," he murmured sincerely.

"Jay?" Jinx asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is that my new nickname?"

"Sure, why not?" Cyborg said with a little smirk, leaning back in his seat. "You're a Titan now, right? We might as well make it official with the 'Cyborg Seal of Approval Nickname!'"

Jinx felt her cheeks burn completely red, suddenly bashful. "Not gonna lie, but this is really weird…" she muttered in a small voice, looking around the command center once more. Hadn't she stormed this place a couple times as a HIVE member? "If you were to tell me a year ago that I'd be on this side of the fight, I probably would've called you crazy and hexed you into a ditch."

"Yeah, I know the feeling…" Cyborg added, a little distractedly. "You're lucky I believe in second chances, or else you may not be here now…" He glanced over at her, and seeing a little hurt look in her eye, quickly added, "But, you've saved our butts a few times already, and Kid Flash definitely trusts you… we're glad to have you on this side, Jay."

"Yeah… thanks…" she said, still blushing a little.

Cyborg's arm communicator suddenly bleeped, and the two awake Titans looked at it simultaneously, as though fearful it was about to explode. The lighthearted mood of the room dampened immediately, the reality of their situation, which had been so wonderfully forgotten for a moment there, suddenly bit into them again. Cyborg glanced at her, almost in a plea for help, before he opened the little compartment built into his arm and the screen shone to life in the dim room.

He stared at it a long moment, and Jinx tried to lean in such a way to see what was going on, but just couldn't get the angle without threatening to wake up Kid Flash. But when Cyborg's face suddenly softened into a small smile, she grew a little more desperate.

"What, what is it?" she asked in a hiss, leaning a little further than she dared.

Cyborg turned his arm so she could see.

It was a picture, of Raven, floating about a foot above her hospital bed. Beneath the picture was the text "Thought this would lift your spirits a little. ~Bee"

"She's going to be okay…" Cyborg said almost breathlessly, looking like he was ready to cry in relief. "Her hovering means she's in a healing trance which means… she's healing… and she's going to be okay…" He turned his arm back so he could look at the picture again, then suddenly he leapt up into the air with a loud "_**BOO-YAH!**_" which startled both Jinx and Kid Flash to the point that they _both_ went tumbling off the couch to the floor.

"Gerroffme!" Jinx snapped, totally disoriented, with the speedster half on top of her.

"Face it – you're falling for me," Kid Flash hummed in her ear with his typical attempt at a seductive voice.

"You're an idiot."

* * *

**A/N** Things are looking up, eh!!!

Of course, you all should know me well enough… well, no, I shouldn't shatter this moment of peace and hope for you. *presses fingers to lips* Hope you all enjoy it! I'm not sure how long it will last! R&R!! Especially YOU!!! Yeah, you! For every review you don't post, the Joker kills another innocent child! --- Awwww, too soon?

(P.S. Again, sorry if my spanish sucks)


	48. Never Let You Go

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 48:** Never Let You Go

**Author's Note**:

I'm so sorry about the long delay, you guys. :( I really am. I miss writing and I miss you all reading and reviewing and enjoying this story… I'm just kinda stuck in a really awful point in my life right now, and I haven't had much energy or will to do anything… Please forgive me. This has been on my mind pretty much the whole time…

(Also, SDCC was AWESOME! I got to see Mark Hamill (voice of the Joker! …and Luke Skywalker!) and Kevin Conroy (Batman voice) and Adam West (Batman) and Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach) and Paul Dini (writer: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker), and HOLY CRAP! --- Jerry Robinson! (THE. CREATOR. OF. THE. JOKER!!) It… was… heaven. And I will be back at SDCC in 2010! :)

Anyways, I hope this chapter was worth the wait… I love you guys! Thanks so much for sticking it out with me… (I've been actively working on this story for over a year, you guys! ...inactively for... um... 5+ years!)

Anyways, on with the show. Enjoy.

* * *

A breath exhales. It lingers like a prayer, an echo through the nothingness.

A reminder of life.

She opened her eyes, to find herself staring out into a deep darkness, one that expanded everywhere and nowhere at once… a neverending oblivion …

_Where am I…?_

She dropped her gaze, down at her bare, pale legs, crossed before her familiarly. Her cape draped her shoulders, her hair swept around her vision, as though provoked by an unseen, unfelt wind. There was nothing below her, and craning her head, nothing above her.

…what was this… where was she…?

…was she dead…? …no, somehow she knew she wasn't.

She drew in a breath, and released it… a cloud of moisture hung before her face for a long moment, like it would in the dead of winter… this place was a little cold... wherever it was…

"Hello?" she spoke aloud, her croaking voice echoing into the surrounding darkness for a long time before diminishing back into silence. She stretched her legs down beneath her, as though standing herself up on an invisible ground. She drew her cloak tightly around herself, and turned to look behind her, as though half-expecting a terrible foe waiting for her there. But there was nothing.

"What is this…?" she wondered aloud to herself, turning a little more, frowning. "Is this a dream…?"

"Are you a dream?"

The voice took her completely off-guard, and she gasped, turning with a little more force, trying to discern which direction the voice was coming from… but it seemed to be coming from all around her.

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to calm herself down a little, but she couldn't help feeling unnerved… being stuck in a dark void with a strange voice was a little bizarre, even for her.

"Who are you?" the voice answered. It sounded so young… and it was dull, quiet, almost bored, like a child stuck for hours in a waiting room without any toys.

And yet, something wavered in its tone… like it was nervous about something…

"I'm Raven," she said. There was no point in lying to this voice… Though she'd initially been alarmed by its presence, she didn't feel any need to fear it… such a young voice… "Who are you...?"

Her voice echoed into nothingness… there was no answer. She swallowed, glancing around at the black space surrounding her, a universe devoid of stars. "It's okay," she said without thinking, speaking softly for some reason. "I'm not going to hurt you… just tell me who you are…"

"I'm lost…"

The voice came from a specific direction this time. She turned to look behind her, and there, standing before her, was a young child. A boy, maybe eight or ten-years-old. He had his head bowed, and he looked to be on the verge of tears, but his eyes were focused up towards her, tinted a brilliant blue that took her aback. He wore a simple nightshirt, clutching a small old teddy bear to himself. She stared at him a moment, feeling a strange déjà vu… she crouched a little so she was eye-level with him.

"I think I'm lost too," she said, looking around. "But, I found you. Maybe together, we can find our way home…"

These words did not seem to comfort the boy at all… he frowned a little more forcefully, looking towards his socks.

"I don't have a home…" he said in a very soft voice. His eyes glanced up towards her, his chin still to his chest. "And you're not really here…" He glanced back towards his shoes, suddenly glowering, eyes furrowed as though trying to work out a difficult puzzle in his head. "You can't be… you're dead… you're just… a dream…"

Raven reeled back a little at this. Dead….? No… she wasn't dead. She knew it… and she was pretty sure she wasn't herself, and not a dream… She composed herself with a deep breath, and leaned back towards this young boy. "Does… that mean, you know who I am?" she asked carefully.

"Not really…" he mumbled, closing his eyes. "Just a dream… a dream…"

"I'm not a dream," she said. She held out her hand. Her mind wasn't quite working now – she didn't know why she was reaching for him. He looked at her hand with a look of dumbfounded shock, then glanced up at her with the same struck look. She gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"Let me help you," she said. "You don't have to be lost."

He stared up at her the longest time, then down at her hand. He hugged his bear closer to himself, shifting a little where he stood, a child unsure what to do… She didn't move, watching him carefully…

But something broke. He suddenly screwed his face up and shouted "NO!" He swung his bear around, swatting her hand aside hard and stumbling around, tearing off away from her.

"Wait!" she shouted, straightening up and charging after him.

"You're not real! None of this is real!" he screamed as he took off, racing away from her at an astonishingly fast pace. "I want my mom! I want my dad! I want to go home! No more! No more!"

"Wait!" she called again, pushing herself to run faster, holding a hand out towards him. "Come back! Let me help you!"

But somehow, he slipped away from her… vanishing into the darkness beyond her, his footsteps fading into silence. She trotted to a halt, panting a little.

And then, there was an enormous clap of thunder that slammed into her, like the shock of a door slamming hard right in her face.

Her eyes snapped open.

She sat up with a gasp, staring out into the suddenly brilliant white room, her eyes blinded but still wide as discs.

"Robin!" she gasped.

* * *

Starfire practically screamed and leapt up onto the nearby counter when Raven snapped upright in bed. Starfire hovered a moment in space somewhere in between that counter and the chair she'd been sitting in, a hand to her chest, her heart racing from the shock of such sudden movement. It took her a few seconds to get her wits about her, before she floated forward, wincing a little – her body was still in tremendous pain. But she was enduring it, to be with her friends.

"Raven!" she said urgently, moving in closer, the jitters from the surprise being replaced with jitters of overwhelming relief. "Raven, friend! I cannot believe it - you are awake!"

Raven blinked straight ahead of her, a pale, startled look still etched on her face. Her eyes flickered to Starfire, and focused a long moment, as though it was taking her a moment to recognize her, to realize where she was. The dark-haired girl released a slow breath, relaxing a little, and blinked, taking in Starfire's bandaged, injured body. "Starfire…" she croaked in a weak voice. "You're hurt."

"I believe that you are far more hurt than I am," Starfire said with a weak smile. "W-we almost thought you had…"

Raven looked away, frowning. She looked down at herself, at her hospital gown, at her bandages. She rested a hand on her stomach.

"Do you hurt?" Starfire asked urgently. "I can go find Bumblebee, and perhaps she could—"

"No, I'm- I'm fine, actually," Raven murmured almost distractedly. "I think I'm healed, for the most part …"

Starfire smiled softly down at her, almost proudly. "I sometimes forget how powerful you have become over the years…"

Raven glowered and looked away. "But I wasn't powerful enough to… wait…" Her eyes flickered with sudden apprehension, and she looked quickly back up at the Tamaranian. "How long have I been out?"

"Um... four days, I believe…" the orange-skinned girl replied after a moments thought.

Raven's eyes went wide, and what color had come back to her face had drained away.

"What? No… Robin!" she gasped, suddenly completely alert and serious as she tore the covers off her and stood up. She looked around frantically, her gaze falling upon her tattered cloak that sat folded on the counter. Quickly, almost panickingly, she snatched it up and hurriedly clasped it around her neck over her hospital gown, eyes wide in terror as she began stammering in worry. "…I haven't been able to help him in four days! What if he has—I have to try and find him right away! Who knows what—The roof. I bet if I headed for the roof I could—"

"Wait! Raven!"

Raven froze, already halfway to the hospital ward door. She turned to look at Starfire, and her heart fell at the other girl's expression.

She was crying, looking as though she was tearing apart inside.

"What is it? What's wrong…?" Raven's nerves were on end, her mind jumping to every terrible conclusion. They'd already found Robin, hadn't they? His body was lying somewhere in the Tower beneath them… lifeless, ready to be buried…. Or every other Titan had been kidnapped, too, and it was up to her…

Starfire swallowed hard. The orange princess felt her heart breaking as she turned her head aside, to pull herself together. Of course, she wanted Raven to find Robin, and find him now… but he wasn't the only person in her life worth saving…

"It's… Beast Boy…" she finally managed to speak up, looking back over.

Raven's body went cold, like someone had replaced her blood stream with snow. She looked around – the other hospital beds in the ward were empty... except for Mas in the far corner, snoring a little with a comic book on top of his head.

She slowly began to remember… why she was in the ward to begin with… that flash of light… that terrible pain… falling…

And Beast Boy… holding onto her as the floor vanished beneath them… screaming in her ear as he protected her from Brother Blood…

She swallowed hard, looking over at Starfire with a very serious, determined expression, trying to quiet her terrified nerves. "Where is he?" she asked in throaty voice.

* * *

Beast Boy…

He was curled into himself, clutching tufts of emerald hair tightly between his knuckles. His whole body shook, the world around him a terrible, sickening nothingness that swirled and bucked like the world's most nauseating terror ride. …He just wanted to get off of it… It was dark, yet somehow also very blinding and chaotic, like swirls of colors he'd never seen before were taunting and strangling him. And all the while, a terrible laughter consumed him, tearing away at him, piece by piece, chunks of flesh and bone and spirit being pulled away into the chaos…

Beast Boy… could he even really be called that anymore?... he was almost gone…

A scream ripped through his throat, drowned by maniacal cackling. So much pain… having your body torn apart was so painful… he wanted the end… he wanted it now…

Beast Boy… don't give in… come on…

Who was calling him? It was annoying…

…but at the same time… calming…

…things were calming down a little.

A breath was forced into his mangled lungs, settling him down a little more… everything, all the madness surrounding him had become a little muted, as though someone were pressing the volume down button of the remote control that belonged to all this. The laughter had dimmed, the rocking had slowed… And he felt something vaguely familiar holding him tight… slowly piecing all that had torn away from him back together, like a jigsaw puzzle.

He slowly began to remember everything about himself… memories and emotions and thoughts returning slowly…

And the laughter was fading completely… he couldn't even hear it anymore. His fingers no longer seized his hair so forcefully, his body relaxed completely against the cold floor of his own mind… his world was slowly brightening, becoming clear and safe and normal once more…

And he looked up, and saw a familiar figured standing over him, staring down at him with a soft expression.

He just gaped up at her. She held a hand out to him, and he stared at it instead for a long moment, before looking back up at her.

"Raven?" he croaked in a weak voice, propping himself up on his hands. He looked around, at the soft pastels swirling around him, and he frowned. "Great, I'm dead, aren't I? I died like you died, and now I'm in heaven… it smells weird."

"You're not dead, Beast Boy."

"Then what is this? A dream?"

"Just take my hand," Raven said with the usual impatient, blunt tone she often used with him. Beast Boy blinked at her once more, then at her hand. With a little hesitation, he reached out, half-expecting his hand to just pass right through hers.

But instead, her fingers tightened securely around his, and then he suddenly felt himself shooting upwards like a rocket.

And then, there he was… lying strapped to a medical table in a large empty soundproof room of Titans tower, staring up through blurred vision into a set of soft purple eyes.

It was one thing to see her in his mind, in his hallucinations, in his dreams… but… was he still dreaming?

She was sitting beside him on the platform he was strapped to, leaning over him, her soft fingers resting gently on either side of his head. As their eyes met, she straightened up, her touch vanishing as she smiled down at him. She looked absolutely exhausted.

"Welcome back, Beast Boy…" she murmured kindly in a very faint voice.

Beast Boy just gaped up at her, flabbergasted beyond any wits.

"Raven?" he finally rasped in a hoarse voice, eyes at their full width as he took the sight of her in. He tried to sit up, but found out just how strapped he was to the table. He frowned down at the restraints, then back up at her, shaking his head. "But… how are you… you're…" He couldn't seem to find the right words.

Raven continued watching him with her strange little smile, which took the changeling aback a little. Raven, smiling? The girl looked down at the boy's restraints, and then waved her hand – they instantly loosened of their own accord, freeing him from their grip.

He sat himself up, carefully – he felt dizzy, tired, a little nauseated… his head felt strangely light and numb… but after watching her a long time (She never disappeared) he lifted a hand with a finger extended to poke her, to see for sure whether she was a ghost or a hallucination... to see if this was all really happening...

She realized what he was doing, and a hand snapped out and grabbed his, her smile fading into her usual scowl. "Don't even think about it," she said dully.

"RAVEN!" Beast Boy cried out gleefully, suddenly launching himself forward and clutching her tightly, pressing his face into her shoulder. "Holy crap, I thought you were dead! And it was all my fault, Raven. I'm so sorry! None of it would've happened if I hadn't--"

"It wasn't your fault, Beast Boy," Raven interrupted softly in her croaky voice, not hugging him back, but in fact leaning back just a little, as though wanting to slip away from his grasp. "In fact, if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be here now…"

"What?" Beast Boy asked, releasing his grip a little and raising his head, staring past her shoulder as though he were looking at her instead.

A moment passed before Raven softly replied "You didn't let go… I was able to pull enough energy from you to make it through…"

Something seemed to shift in her… she suddenly relaxed, and an arm reached around and hugged the green Titan back. Finally, she murmured. "You saved me, Beast Boy. Thank you."

All the guilt, the resentment he had for himself, seemed to wash away at once as he sat there holding her, listening to those words… he'd saved her…? His grip suddenly tightened on her, and he pressed his face back into her shoulder, tears threatening to break forth… he wasn't sure why. Because she was alive? Because he was alive? Because it turns out he wasn't as big of a complete failure as he thought…? He held her even tighter, fighting as hard as he could not to sob from the pure relief of it all.

They remained like that for a long time…

"Beast Boy…" Raven grumbled after she felt too much time had passed, wincing a little at his tight embrace. "You… you can let go now…"

"...Never again… no, never again..."

A strange shiver passed through Raven at his words, her eyes widening a little and a small flush coming to her pale cheeks. For a moment, she felt tears spring to her own eyes… She was so grateful… grateful to him that he'd protected her, helped her, as selflessly as he had… after everything she'd ever done to him… and grateful that she hadn't lost him either. She suddenly hugged him back fully, with a small sigh.

Beast Boy suddenly inhaled sharply, pulling away from her roughly, a hand snapping to his head.

His head was still badly injured, she realized. She gently pushed him back down onto the bed.

"Here… hold still… I've got enough strength. Let me heal it…"

"Thanks…" Beast Boy whispered weakly, clutching his eyes closed. But he still smiled softly to himself.

And the others, who had been watching the whole time from the other room, smiled among themselves as well, glancing at each other with proud smiles.

All the Titans had made it.

…well… almost all of them…

* * *

In the large room that housed the fake kitchen set, the Joker sat hunched over the checker-patterned table. A set of small tools littered the surface beside him. He leaned in, staring through one of those headgear magnifying glasses popular among watchmakers, mad scientists and those people who make the little model ships inside glass bottles. It was quiet, Harley off being occupied by some menial task or another he'd sent her on, and his boy off resting in the next room over. He smiled to himself as he tinkered with the little microchip below him, his powerful mind casting back over the last few days…

Everything had developed better than he ever could have hoped… not only did he manage to break the little birdbrat and learned the whole sorry background of Gotham's beloved dark knight, but the young lad was proving to be the best sidekick the Joker could ever have asked for… the broken teen obeyed everything he was asked, without word, without question, and always with a great big smile on his face… And nothing made the Joker happier than seeing that grinning teenager fire bullets without hesitation into every effigy lined up for him… even the one of the Bats….

Yes, thought the Joker as he set a transistor in place on the microchip, a devilish grin breaking across his face. Yes, this was going to be his most greatest experiment… his greatest achievement…

After a quick soldering job, sparks flying every which way, the Joker paused, holding the microchip up using a set of tiny pliers, looking at it closely with his grin doubling in length.

It was almost time...

He could not wait to unleash Joker Junior on the world.

* * *

**A/N**

I wish I could promise that the next chapter will be up quickly… but it most likely won't. I hope you guys all liked this chapter. Thanks once more for being such awesome people!


	49. Falling Slowly

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 49: **Falling Slowly

**Author's Note:  
**

First, want to say a very big THANK YOU to all you fabulous readers for waiting (somewhat) patiently while I dealt with my personal demons, life issues and awful happenings with school. XD Although also thank you to those of you who sought me out in various ways to remind me that you will not settle for my excuses too much longer, and that this story MUST GO ON!!!

I dunno why it's been so hard for me to get back to this story. I know part of it was the fact that I was totally indecisive about whether or not I'd do what I end up doing in this chapter. XD Everyone will hate me, but it's much more _me_ than doing it any other way. I think another part of it is that I don't have any more Robin torture to write. XD And that was the most funnest parts!!! Like, I'd make myself write the Titans parts to get to those wonderful magnificent juicy bloody demented Robin parts. :P I don't think it's any surprise who my favorite character is this far into the game.

ALSO!! (Here's the test to see if you're paying attention): I revised the end of Chapter 45 with a piece of writing I found in my writing folder with just the document title of "joker," and homfg is it fantastic! Give it a read, whydoncha?! XD

Alright, too-long-author's-note complete. THANKS AGAIN!! Enjoy this long-awaited chapter! Hope it was worth it.

* * *

Though it was drizzling heavily outside, the morning seemed bright and cheerful compared to the days that had preceded it.

No calls had interrupted them that night, and though they couldn't call themselves well-rested, they had had an adequate amount of down-time to recuperate after helping bring Jump City back to normal.

And now they sat together on the half-circle couch, the three honorary Titans smiling to one another as Cyborg stood facing the giant screen that obscured the massive common room window, where Bumblebee's familiar face stared down upon them.

"…and Raven has been recovering from healing him, but it looks like both she and Beast Boy are completely fine. She'll be working on Starfire's injuries next, although Star's not even too bad off herself. She's improved tremendously over the last few days, I can barely believe it."

"Thanks, Bee, for taking care of them while we dealt with things here," Cyborg said with a soft smile.

"Not a problem, Sparky." The other chocolate-skinned Titan returned the smile and shifted her weight to one side, resting a hand on her hip. "I know you'd do the same for me.

"You know it." Cyborg smiled for a second longer, then his face shifted, becoming a little more serious. "Now that things have quieted down here, it's time for us to figure out what to do next about Robin."

"Well—kcht—I—krzzt—"

Bee's face suddenly faded into a blizzard of static, wavering in and out of clarity until vanishing entirely behind streaks of snowing pixels. Cyborg gaped in astonishment, and the other Titans looked between each other with confusion.

"What…? Bee?" He opened the screen on his arm, beginning to fiddle to check the Tower's systems.

"What just happened?" asked Herald with a cocked eyebrow.

Kid Flash suddenly appeared at Cyborg's side, jutting his jaw out with concentration up at the staticky screen. "A communications disruption can only mean one thing…. Invasion."

Cyborg stopped, and glanced over at the speedster. A low rumble escaped his throat in annoyance as he realized where he'd heard those words before. "Star Wars? Really?"

"Knock it off, Kid," Jinx said without humor, smacking the yellow-clad teen on the shoulder with the topside of her hand before crossing them and standing her ground beside them both. "This isn't the time for jokes."

Cyborg furrowed his forehead back down at his communicator. These readings weren't right…

Almost on cue, all the lights in the tower extinguished at once. The four Titans wheeled around, staring into the darkness around them, their surroundings only illuminated dimly by the overcast, rainy world outside.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…." Herald muttered softly, looking around, his fingers tightening around his magical trumpet.

"S-someone broke into my security system!?" Cyborg exclaimed this with a mixture of incredulity and anger. Who the hell could have…?

"Your system is anything but foolproof…" boomed a voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "…after all. it was fools who broke in to begin with… saved me a bit of time."

"Are you serious…?" Jinx murmured low, glaring upwards, into the shadows of the ceiling.

"SLADE! SHOW YOURSELF!" Cyborg roared, snapping his sonic cannon out and pointing it towards the ceiling as he stumbled backwards, eyes wide in anger.

Nothing happened for a long moment. They heard nothing, saw nothing….

Then there was a loud cry of pain. Cyborg, Jinx and Kid Flash spun around in time to see Herald's trumpet hit the ground where he had once been standing, its owner tumbling hard across the floor and into the kitchen island. A shadowed figure stood a few feet from them, a familiar golden glint shining on its head.

"You should know better than to show your face, especially at a time like this!" Cyborg spat bitterly, swinging his arm cannon around and firing it, the room suddenly illuminated by the blast. The shot missed as Slade darted out of the way.

"Get him!" Jinx yelled, eyes blazing pink as she lifted her hands and swung them, sending pink arcs of magic hurling at the villain.

Kid Flash didn't need a second telling. He charged forward, the room streaking past him as he whipped around to catch Slade on his side, where he wouldn't expect it.

And then, his stomach lurched hard into his ribs, his arm nearly yanked completely from his socket as a hand snapped out and grabbed him by the wrist, halting him just past where Slade had been. The young Flash blinked dumbfoundedly. What? Slade… had caught him…? …he had… he had stepped aside and… but how…?

He wasn't even allowed another second of thought before his entire body erupted with fire. A raspy cry ripped through his throat as he collapsed to his knees, red fireworks flashing behind his clenched eyelids, electricity surging through his veins at a breaking intensity.

"Kid Flash!" Jinx gasped. She forgot all about her powers a moment, tearing forward, watching in horror as Slade released the redheaded boy, who immediately crumpled to the ground with electricity still racing across his form. Anger lit her heart as she raised her hands again, focusing once more on the villain, her hands surrounded with a pink aura. "You son of a b—AUGH!"

At first Slade had been over there, and then suddenly, he was right there before her, his bo staff swinging from nowhere and plowing straight into her, catching her just above her bellybutton and knocking her backwards. Her vision cut out as she slammed into the back of the couch, somersaulting backwards over it, hitting the cushions and falling to rest on the floor beside the coffee table. She fought to breathe, her head filling with an odd pounding hum… it seemed like her lungs entirely forgot what they were supposed to do. Her vision returned for a moment, but then vanished again and she was out.

Cyborg gaped at Jinx, then turned his attention back to Slade, crying out with pure anger and hatred and began firing as quickly as he could. "Damnit, Slade! This is seriously getting old!" he thundered, subconsciously stepping back as he saw the villain turn his lone eye on him. He couldn't help feeling a twinge of panic. All the other Titans were out – he was alone. How could this be happening…?

And then, Slade was sprinting at him. Cyborg cried out and fired more desperately as he backed away. He managed to land a shot on Slade's shoulder, but the masked man didn't even flinch. The next thing Cyborg knew, he was on his back on the floor, Slade's foot pressing upon his chest, his bo staff jammed hard into what had previously been Cyborg's sonic cannon, but now was a mess of parts strewn around him on the floor. He cried out as his vision went staticky, broken circuitry causing surges of electricity through the rest of his body. He growled and struggled to free himself, but Slade only pressed down hard, leering down at the fallen Titan with a strange look.

"You've failed…" he murmured in a low, dark voice.

"It's not over til I…" began Cyborg with a growl, struggling again to get up. …Crap… the shortcircuiting was messing with other systems…. He couldn't even use his rocket boots.

Slade applied more pressure to his foot, threatening to crack the Titan's armor.

"No... You failed _him_…"

Cyborg's struggles ceased, his eyes opening, a strange feeling washing over him…. A horrible dread….

What… him…?

…Robin…

"What are you…?"

"It's too late… you failed him… three weeks he waited. Three long weeks. And you failed to figure out where he was… let yourselves be distracted and tricked… and now it's too late to save him…"

Cyborg gaped up at Slade in numb disbelief, his very soul freezing with dread. Too late…? It was…. But no… it couldn't be…

Cyborg's eyes narrowed, his teeth clenching into a terrible sneer.

"You were behind this… what did you do…?"

"I didn't do anything…" Cyborg cried out as Slade twisted his bo staff, digging it hard into Cyborg's shoulder, cracking his armor and circuits more. Slade's presence seemed to turn even more menacing as he bent closer, bearing all his weight down on Cyborg's chest. "I found Robin myself. I found where he was hiding. And he begged me to save him… he begged _me_ to break him free from the Joker's hold… but he was already beyond rehabilitation."

"If you know where he is then tell me! Tell me where he—AUGH!"

Slade brought his foot out and slammed it down on Cyborg's neck, causing another rush of static to pass through his vision.

"The old Arkham Asylum building, Gotham City...."

Cyborg's eyes widened. He'd read that name before, during his research of the Joker. …but the old building… there were two?

But… this didn't make sense… none of it did…. Why was Slade telling him this…? Why was he even there…?

Across the room, Herald pushed himself up quietly onto his hands and knees, shaking the last stars of unconsciousness from his head. He winced as he raised his head, various parts of his body pounding with a dull ache.

But he'd heard it… Robin's whereabouts…

He swallowed hard, his eyes darting around the room, glancing at the fallen Kid Flash, then up at Slade and Cyborg, and finally to the trumpet lying in the middle of the floor, just yards from where the struggle was happening.

He slowly made his way towards it.

Cyborg renewed his fight against the foot on his neck, feeling the human parts of his face turning blue as it strained for oxygen. He opened his mouth. "Why… the hell are you here…?" he managed to croak.

"Without Robin… the Titans are finished. Even if you got to Robin there's no hope for him…" Suddenly, Slade stepped off, and grabbed Cyborg roughly by his chest armor, lifting him upright off the ground. Cyborg coughed and heaved deep breaths of beautiful air, as Slade lifted his hand, pressing a trigger hidden in his glove as he pointed towards the screen. "See for yourself…"

Cyborg's eyes widened in horror as the large screen before him suddenly illuminated. He saw Robin's figure, strapped down on a metal platform. He looked terrified… Cyborg was not used to seeing him like that. He tried to cry out, but his lungs refused to work correctly, his voice useless. His eyes widened to their full width as electricity consumed the Boy Wonder, terrible shrieks echoing through the great room.

And then the image changed… a naked, trembling form on the ground, covered in blood and bruises… looking thin and pale… too pale… The figure turned slowly, and Cyborg couldn't help but cry out as he saw a haunted, demented smile accommpanying wide soulless eyes upon what he knew should have been his friend's kind, handsome face… The scene changed again, like someone changing the channel, to more torture, more terrible shrieks… again… he clenched his eyes tight after he saw a rusty pair of pliers ripping a molar straight from a bleeding mouth… he didn't want to see anymore... Cyborg hadn't even noticed himself trembling… he felt completely sick…

His eyes were closed, but there was no blocking out those shrieks of agony… or that maniacal laughter…

There's no way this is what…. _Oh god…_

The chaotic sounds of pain and madness enshrouded him like a icy wet blanket, pressing in on him, filling his head with guilt and despair.

Herald was only feet from his trumpet, but couldn't move another inch, gaping in complete horror up at the screen, watching the torture and destruction of the Titans leader with his own stomach twisting in disgust. How could anyone do such terrible…?

…could anyone survive three weeks of _that?_

He stared at the screen a second longer, then looked over at Cyborg. He swallowed hard, considering a moment, then looked at his trumpet. He reached out and curled his fingers around the golden metal curves, his mind made up.

He put the trumpet to his lips, blaring a long, low note.

He slipped into the dark void of an alternate world. He made his way through it as quickly as his weak feet would let him. When he knew he was far enough away, he pressed his lips back on the mouth of the trumpet and opened the portal again, landing on the ground just outside the tower. He winced as he landed, his chest stinging in pain. He paid it little mind though as he pulled out his communicator.

He just prayed the entire system wasn't down…

"Herald to Bumblebee. Herald to Bumblebee. I have Robin's whereabouts!"

Inside the tower, Slade had noticed Herald's call and turned in time to see the boy slip through a gateway. Slade held still a moment, waiting for something to happen, for Herald to come back out and bring him down. But nothing happened. An amused little grunt left him and he took a look around him, at the massive great room of the tower. He then turned his attention back to the large cybernetic teenager in his grasp. After looking back up at the screen, he knelt closer to the large Titan, hissing his words dangerously.

"There is no hope for the Titans... you are weak and useless... you allowed moron brats to break into your system, let them manipulate you, steal your secrets. You let them trick you and if it wasn't for me they would have destroyed you."

Cyborg blinked dumbly. _Wasn't for him...?_

"It was I who prevented the Joker's bomb from destroying the HIVE headquarters - yes, I knew all about that too, and I figured it out on my own, something you were all incapable of doing. Why I would do something like that...? I thought perhaps the Titans would be able to recover, that you'd still be my worthy foes, that I would get the pleasure of destroying you all myself... but it was not even worth it. I should have let him do it. You are not the foes you once were, and you never will be again. You're nothing without Robin… The Teen Titans are finished."

"We're not…" Cyborg huffed bitterly, still short of breath. "I'm still here. The others are still here. As long as we're here… the Titans will go on… it's the way… it's the way Robin would…" He couldn't even finish his sentence, tears burning in his human eye, those images of Robin's torture flickering through his memory.

Was he dead…? Was that what Slade meant by too late…? Was he…

There was a sudden strange sound, a ringing hum. Slade's reaction wasn't quick enough as pink streaks of light crashed into the ground before him, an explosion surging through the floor and catapulting him upward, Cyborg slipping from his grasp and hitting the ground.

"We will fight you to the end," a voice murmured weakly, but with determination. Jinx had gotten to her feet, her eyes blazing with a terrible fuchsia-colored radiance. She looked mean, terrifying, her hands outstretched. "We'll bring you down… and then we'll go get Robin…"

"Too bad for you…" Slade said with a voice that revealed a sneer behind his mask as he straightened back to his feet. His hands wandered up, one resting on either side of his head. Cyborg pushed himself to his knees, clenching his remaining hand preparing to do whatever he had to, but awe and fear struck him. What was Slade doing? Was he going to take off his mask…?

Slade pulled the front of his mask away…

…revealing a digital screen… with a huge number 5 on it that quickly changed to a 4.

"I'm not even here..." Slade's voice sounded tinny and strange, coming from a speaker just below the screen.

"SHIT!" Cyborg cried out, leaping to his feet, horror gripping him. It wasn't Slade, it was another of his bots… another trick… a bomb!

3…

"NO!" Jinx screamed, glancing towards Kid Flash's fallen form.

"JINX! NO! WE GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!"

2…

She was running towards him as Cyborg was stumbling back towards the huge plate glass windows. Panic overtook him. They had to get out of the tower...

"JINX!!"

1…

Jinx reached the redhead's side, grabbing him to pick him up, but cried out as the electricity that had incapacitated him raced through her body as well.

0.

Cyborg cried out as the world became too bright for his visual sensors to take. He threw his hands over his face as he felt something slam into him hard, ripping through some of his armor, making his feet leave the ground.... he was falling.... Static took over his vision once more, and then everything was gone.

* * *

…get up…

Huh…?

…get up!...

He heard it… he thought… he groaned and wiggled some of his fingers… were they even there?

…come on… wake up…

Standby mode loaded into full systems running… static turned into a glitchy picture of a cloudy sky stained red…

A dark face obscured the scenery, looking relieved.

"H-Herald…?" Cyborg croaked. He could barely move, his body reacting poorly to his mind's commands. He racked his brain, trying to recall what had happened.

….Slade… the explosion… Jinx and Kid Flash….

No…

"What happened?!" he suddenly gasped, fighting to sit up but his body didn't want to work right. "Jinx! Kid Flash! Where are they! Please tell me they made it out with me!"

"They did."

Cyborg gaped incredulously up at the teen above him. A sound to his left caught his attention and he turned his head.

Kid Flash lay on the beach beside them, Jinx kneeling over him. She was clutching her shoulder, which was badly burnt and blistered, but she seemed to be ignoring it. The speedster looked anything but okay, his back arced on the ground and his face stretched back in terrible pain, tears staining his mask.

"Even with the containment field, he managed to get you all out of there… it nearly killed him…" Herald murmured softly. "We can't figure out how it's still hurting him… where it is… we don't know if he's going to be…"

Cyborg rolled to the side and managed to sit himself up. He crawled slowly to the ailing teen, but then something caught his attention, and he looked up.

His stomach sank to his boots.

The tower…

He found himself getting to his feet, staring blankly out at the terrible sight before him. His whole body lost all feeling, his chest seizing with sorrow.

It was gone…

The entire tower… nothing but a pile of burning ruin on top of a now-bare island. Flaming debris littered the ocean, the light of the flames turning the cloudy sky red.

He shook his head involuntarily, eyes fixed on the terrible sight, feeling the world as he knew it crashing into rubble around him along with his home.

_This isn't happening…_

Herald had appeared at his side, wincing while gripping his arm to himself. It was broken, along with a rib or two… he had narrowly avoided the Tower falling on top of him. He didn't really feel much pain, the adrenaline pumping through him dulling everything. He looked at Cyborg, a little uncomfortably, before saying softly, "I'm… I'm sorry…"

Cyborg swallowed, dropping his head, clenching his eyes tight. He shook his head side to side and lifted it again, staring at the destroyed site with a strange tenseness to his face.

"It was just a building…" he grumbled darkly. "It can be rebuilt… lives on the other hand…" he looked down at Kid Flash, but his mind cast to Robin…

_Too late… too late to save him…_

He clenched his eyes shut again to control the emotions cascading through him… to quell the barrage of imagery that assaulted his mind's eye… the images of torture… of pure pain…

…Robin…

As though reading his mind, Herald turned fully towards him. "When I left the tower, it was to alert Bumblebee of Robin's whereabouts."

"How do we know he's even there… that Slade wasn't just messing with us…?" Cyborg retorted in a bitter, angry voice. The words even tasted bitter inside his own mouth.

"Raven confirmed it."

Cyborg's eyes snapped open, as though startled, turning quickly to the other Titan with mouth falling open a little. Herald continued, "She seemed certain that's where he is, that it matched up with her connections with him. They're assembling themselves to go after him as we're talking."

Cyborg felt a sudden, beautiful twinge of hope shining through even the doubting words of Slade that was still echoing inside his own mind. He glanced down at his ruined arm with annoyance. He wanted to help. He wanted to find Robin, wanted to help bring him home…

An outcry caught his attention, and he spun to look down at Kid Flash, who writhed a little on the ground, groaning in obvious pain.

…he was needed here. Cyborg dropped to his knees beside the fallen speedster, determined to help him.

_Be careful…_ he prayed in the direction of Raven and the others. _I don't want anyone else hurt_…

_And Robin… for the love of God, man… hang in there… we're coming_…

----

A/N

Was it worth the wait?? XD I'm so out of practice, I keep worrying about whether or not I'm doing this right anymore!


	50. Arkham Asylum

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 50:** Arkham Asylum

**A/N**

So, the title not only refers to this chapter, but also to the WONDERFULLY AMAZINGLY AWESOME GAME that was released not too long ago for PC and PS3 and Xbox360. :D It's…. it's…. *drooooools* Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing!!! XD Needless to say, I've already beaten it.

Anyways, I'm sure many of you have been waiting for this story arc for AGES!!! (I know, I know. "No shit, Sherlock!").

(Also, just take note, I had to change that scene from 46 with the Joker and Robin just slightly. XD I don't think anyone would necessarily notice, but it helped with this chapter)

(Also, also, look, it wasn't THAT long of a wait this time! XD Enjoy!)

* * *

"YOU! ARE! NOT! GOING!"

The Titans East aircraft hanger echoed with her shouts as Bumblebee leaned over the wing of the Titans East airship, glaring down at the four injured Titans assembled on the ground below them: Aqualad with his cast and sling, Starfire with her bandages and burn cream, and even Menos stood there with Mas on his shoulders. All faces were set hard with determination.

"Come on, guys, the airship can't even hold all of you…" Speedy spoke up with annoyance as he scaled a ladder toward his chosen cockpit. He frowned at the clock inside the pit displaying the time. It would take about an hour to get to Gotham… "And we really need to go."

"Whether the ship can carry me does not matter! I can fly behind. I just want to find Robin!" Starfire demanded stubbornly, pouting hard with her eyes blazing green.

"Come on, Star! You can't fight in your condition," spoke up Beast Boy.

"But you only were healed last night!" Starfire spoke up indignantly, clenching her fists at her side. "Are you to say that _you_ have condition to fight?!"

"He's fine…" Raven murmured, sounding deeply irritated at all of them. "All this arguing is doing is keeping us from finding Robin!!" she spat out, a little more forcefully than they were used to hearing.

"Come on, all I have is a busted arm," said Aqualad darkly. "Can't you heal it on the way there, Raven? You guys need all the help you can--"

"I need to go for Robin's sake, and if I heal you, I'll be too weak to fight myself."

"You're staying, and that's final!" shouted Bumblebee, lifting into the air and clenching her fists together, her patience completely broken. "Besides, we need that last seat for Robin! Don't you nutjobs get it?!"

"…there's only one way to handle this…" Speedy grumbled in an irritated voice, suddenly sliding back down the ladder and landing gracefully on the ground. He turned towards Aqualad, a fist held up. "Rock, Paper, Scissors. If you win, you come, if I win, you stay."

"Seriously?!" squealed their leader. "You can't be—"

"You're on!" Aqualad said with a mischievous smile, raising his fist. Bumblebee smacked a hand to her forehead and turned away, grumbling furiously to herself under her breath about stupid boys and their stupid pride.

"Ready. One, two, three SHOOT!" they chimed in unison, bringing their fists down rhythmically.

Scissors versus paper. Speedy won.

Aqualad frowned hard, then held his fist up, a hopefully little smile on his face. "Come on, best two out of three!"

"Nope. A deal's a deal. You're staying here!"

"Aw, come on, that's not—"

"Aqualad! Seriously!" Bumblebee exclaimed, almost pleaded. "You guys need to stay here! I can't have anyone else getting injured any further. Besides, if anything happens here, you can deal with that, but don't get into too much trouble, you got that?"

Aqualad looked uneasy, combing his fingers through his hair. Speedy clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, pal. Don't worry. No one is gonna die or anything just cuz you're not there."

"You're so sure?" Aqualad murmured darkly.

"I promise. I wont let anyone get hurt." Speedy smiled, looking downright sure of himself. Aqualad couldn't help but grin a little himself, more at Speedy's attitude than anything. That cocky little bastard…

"Let's GO!" Beast Boy hollered impatiently from his cockpit, pulling the glass canopy closed.

Speedy turned and clamored back up the ladder.

"Please, all of you, be careful!" Starfire said with concern in her eyes.

"Si!" shouted one of the twins, followed by the other. "¡Tienen mucho cuidado! ¡No vuelvan muertos!"

"Let's go!" Speedy shouted as he jumped in his seat and strapped in. The remaining cockpit canopies fell together, and Bumblebee threw the engines into gear. The whole blue ship lifted from the ground, hovering a moment, before soaring straight above the remaining Titans heads as it shot through the open bay doors. Those left behind watched it disappear into the sky over the ocean, silence hanging between them like curtains.

Starfire clasped her hands together, her heart pounding with hope. After so much worry, so many days of uncertainty and disappointments… they were finally going to find him…

* * *

The branches of the old, dying trees outside the asylum danced like cannibals as Bumblebee brought the blue jet down to the ground outside the broken outer gate of the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. No one said a word as the engines' roar diminished into silence, a terrible sense of foreboding shrouding them all as they stared up at the abandoned facility. It was something like out of a horror movie… an old set of buildings standing empty and dark. It was all partially demolished, and stood open, like a rotting wound.

"Do you sense anything…?" Speedy's voice suddenly crackled through the headphones as the Titans began to unstrap themselves.

Raven remained still and silent for a long moment, her soft violet eyes staring up at the looming buildings, a strange shadow passing through them. Her body gave a small, almost imperceptible shudder, chills running all over her back as though insects were crawling across her skin in droves.

"You have no idea…" she finally murmured in a low, mysterious voice, closing her eyes a moment and bowing her head. "This place…" she looked back up at the building, and could not finish her sentence…

"But, can you sense Robin?" asked Beast Boy. The others had opened their cockpits, and were now sitting, waiting for her.

Again, Raven remained silent for a few breaths, eyes wavering unfocusedly at the main building. Finally, she shook her head in a slow pivot. "No…" Some terrible feeling had passed over her as she finally reached forward and pressed a button on the dashboard, causing the glass around her to spring upwards, and the stale, icy air outside rushed around her, biting at her skin. She stood, gripping onto the side of the plane as she continued to stare up at the disconcerting sight of the dilapidated old insane asylum. "…however…" she finally said, turning towards the others, her face obscured in the shadow of her hood, "We're in the right place… this is where it all happened…"

The other three Titans glanced at one another with troubled faces as Raven stepped off the ship, her cloak fluttering behind her as she landed weightlessly to the ground. The others followed suit, and tailed her as she approached the gnarled front gate. She paused a moment, staring past the bars, the chains and the enormous padlock up to the building. What was this feeling, she wondered as she crouched low and passed beneath a gap in the twisted gate bars. Her eyes fell upon a place high above the ground, a tower of one of the buildings that made up the massive complex… she… almost felt as though something was beckoning to her…

"We better stick together…" Bumblebee murmured, flying over the gate and landing beside her. Speedy snuck under the way Raven had, and Beast Boy merely galloped through as a small mouse. Bumblebee looked at them. "What do you guys think – should we make our way to the other side and sneak in—"

"I can only sense two people," Raven spoke up. "The Joker and his accomplice, Harley… you guys should go after them…" Her voice trailed off as her feet left the ground, a hand pointing to a high window. "I'm going this way…"

"Wait, are you saying we should split up?!" Bumblebee asked a little startled. "That's probably the worst idea ever!"

"Something's… I need to see… it could be…" Raven's voice sounded a little distant, and kept trailing off as she began to float away towards the large building.

"Uh… wait, Raven! I'm going with you!" Beast Boy called out. He leapt into the air and transformed into a bat, flapping to catch up with her.

"Should we all—"

"No! You guys go another way," Raven suddenly replied, turning around. "This is something I need to check out…"

"If we come across the Joker, we'll give you a call," Speedy said, tapping on his communicator. He looked at Bumblebee, who seemed less than thrilled at the thought of splitting up.

Without another word, Raven shot forward towards an upper floor of the abandoned facility, Beast Boy trailing close behind. Bumblebee bit her lip, but then forced any nervousness away from her face. They were Titans. They could do this. She had to stop doubting them…

"Come on," she said darkly, beckoning to Speedy. "Let's go find Robin… and the crackpot responsible for all this…."

* * *

"Oh, Mister Jay!"

Joker grumbled an acknowledgement under his breath, but not really listening as he scratched his chin down at some weapons displayed across the table. He lifted a gun and surveyed it closely, opening its arsenal to reveal a vial of chemical, looking at it closely, then closing it back up again, satisfied with what he saw.

"You'd better come see the monitor. Looks like we have some visitors!"

"Visitors?" the Joker spoke up, suddenly alert. He glanced up at Harley, who sat at the big armchair, watching the television screen. The Gotham criminal abandoned what he was doing and bounded up the stairs to her, leaning over to see what she was going on about.

He grumbled darkly under his breath, his eyes narrowing down at the screen. It was those stupid kids… the Teen Titans… not all of them, he noted as he quickly took in the screenshot of them, standing outside the gates talking. Just four of them, only two from Robin's original team.

"How do you 'spose they figured out our hidin' place, Puddin'?" Harley asked in a ditzy voice, leaning forward with her chin cupped in her hands, rest on her crossed knees.

The Joker didn't answer, but he had his guesses. His fingernails dug into the arm of the chair as anger boiled through him, a furious grimace where a smile ordinarily would have been. This was not what was supposed to happen… those brats were going to ruin everything… the big reveal to Bats… they _ruined it_.

Finally, Joker sighed a deep breath, releasing his tension. No use getting all worked up about it, he thought. Might as well greet them… and kill them…

As he watched, he saw the group split paths, two flying away, two running straight to the front doors of the main building. A smile split across the clown's terrible face. It appeared they would first be dealing with the two Titans East members.

This would be fun.

"Places everyone!" he suddenly boomed in a cheerful voice, his arms spread out wide as he grinned his terribly smile. "The show must go on, Batman or no Batman!"

* * *

The darkness that surrounded the asylum pressed in tighter and tighter as Raven floated closer to it. She winced, giving a small shiver, wanting to turn back... as much as she had surrounded herself in darkness throughout her life, this was something else entirely... terror... bloodlust... insanity... a hundred years worth of unstable mental and emotion turmoil swirled through this place like a hurricane. The torrents of lingering malice, psychopathy, and anguish threatened to knock her clear from the air where she flew.

But why she felt summoned to the far wing of the vast building was anyone's guess... it was like a concentrated area of darkness completely unlike the rest of it... it held fear more than anger… an end of hope rather than an end of freedom… and she felt compelled to seek it out... maybe... it had something to do with Robin...

She sailed gracefully through a bare window frame that looked as though it'd once held stained glass. She landed lightly on the cracked tile floor, letting her cloak fall around her like a stage curtain as she stared before her. She had flown into the end of a long corridor that stretched into darkness before her, only one lone flickering light in the distance illuminating anything. Beside her, she heard the screech of a bat before a shift of movement out of the corner of her eye let her know Beast Boy was beside her. He'd changed from bat to canine, tilting his nose to the ground, and then upward. He then returned to human form. His face looked intense, serious, even as he knelt there on the floor like he was still a dog.

"...blood..." he murmured in a low, solemn voice. He straightened slowly to a stand, hands clenching as though to keep his fear and his anger in check. "I smell blood... even now..."

Raven said nothing, her face completely in shadow as she stared into the dark corridor. Behind them, lightning flashed, illuminating the world for a moment, the sky outside threatening to rain with each passing moment. She paid it no heed, her eyes falling closed. She was searching... searching with everything she had for some sign... some hint...

...Robin...

...somehow, she could tell, this place was where he'd been... where everything had happened... but now...

"Raven?"

Beast Boy's voice roused her from her thoughts. She turned to look at the green changeling, who shifted weight from foot to foot with a sort of uneasiness. She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself without words. Finally, she swallowed hard, forcing down all her anxiety and locking it away, and with a wave of her hand, motioned for them to move on.

Beast Boy hesitated a long second, a little apprehensive from Raven's demeanor. She seemed too quiet, even for her... and that gave him a bad feeling. He finally followed carefully behind her, looking around, readying himself as though expecting something to jump right out of the wall and attack them... although, given the way things had been going the last few weeks, and especially given the spooky nature of the place and the metallic smell of blood, he supposed it wasn't so surprising he felt that way.

Their footsteps echoed vacantly through the empty hallway, neither of them speaking as they continued forward. The scent of blood grew stronger; the darkness in the air grew thicker. Raven drew her cloak tighter around herself as she glanced into a broken door of one room, seeing only moldy broken chairs and puddles upon the floor.

"This way…" murmured Beast Boy as he pointed down an adjoining hallway. The smell was overpowering now, even Raven could smell it. Raven nodded and the two of them continued on. Beast Boy turned into a wolf, staying right at Raven's side with his nose down, sniffing to try and find the exact source of that terrible smell.

The two of them suddenly paused together, turning towards one lone, unremarkable door, which flickered a grim yellow in the dying hallway light behind them. The hair on Beast Boy's back stood on end as he saw a dark, dry pool of blood extended beyond the bottom of the door. Raven found herself unable to breathe, that terrible darkness enveloping her, making her want to scream. It felt like she was trapped within a terrible childhood nightmare she couldn't escape.

Reluctantly, she reached out a hand, using her mental abilities to spring the catch on the doorknob, and gently pushed it inward. Inside her mind, almost beyond her consciousness, she was pleading with the powers that held the world together that Robin was not on the other side of the door….

The flickering hallway light poured into the room, and Raven cried out despite herself at the sight before her. Beast Boy gave a loud shrieking bark and leapt back, returning almost instantly to normal.

"Oh, dear God, no…" he whimpered, his voice cracking with pure shock and anguish. His feet nearly gave out on him on the spot, and he had to reach out and grab the door jamb to keep from falling to his knees.

…Children….

…Innocent little children… dozens of them…

After a long, horrible moment staring, unable to breathe, Raven found herself stepping into the room, the stale blood that coated the floor causing her feet to stick a little to the ground. Her stomach twisted and contorted with pure disgust, and her heart felt frozen with grief … so many lives… so young…

"God… some of these kids can't be more than two…" Beast Boy breathed barely above a whisper. He still stood transfixed at the door, staring down at the children with his eyes as wide as they could go. Finally he had to tear them away, clenching them shut. He didn't want to see any more…

This was one of those times when he understood why the Justice League frowned upon teenagers being superheroes… this was too much to take…

Raven took careful steps over the limp, lifeless forms, her eyes scanning over frozen stares and white faces, but trying not to look directly at them… just enough to figure out that not one was breathing… all of them had succumbed from gunshot wounds, whether immediately or after a long time of bleeding…

It took her a long moment to notice the blood-stained, coordinating outfits… her stomach curdled beneath her ribs as she froze a moment to take it all in. She glanced back at Beast Boy, who was staring unblinkingly down at the bodies, his eyes fixed on a very familiar purple costume – his own. He'd realized it too… these children had been masqueraded as them, and then gunned down…

This had something to do with Robin… she was sure of it…

She swallowed down the bile threatening to rise, and slowly traversed the entire sea of bodies to the other side. Once there, paused once more for a long moment, surveying the entire room, barely able to see in the flickering light. She frowned hard as she turned towards the wall, her eyes still scanning, feeling like she'd missed something.

Then her purple gaze paused on something small lying on the floor. She carefully made her way over to it, bending and lifting it up, her eyes widening in disbelief.

It was a little plastic doll… a figurine of Robin… they actually made these…? Her fingers tightened around its tiny form, holding it tightly in her hand as she looked up.

And her eyes immediately fell on something else, and all the air of her lungs was sucked away.

A pair of green eyes… vacant… ghostly… but still sparkling with the vibrant life it once held…

Her mouth fell open as she recognized the little face they belonged to. That little girl… the one back in Jump City… the one who'd seen Robin… No… there was no way… not here in Gotham...

"…_And you're my favorite too, Raven, even if you are a bit of a poopy pants…!"_

Raven swallowed hard, bowing her head. Six years old… no one should ever die at six years old… it had been one thing looking at all the other nameless faces of the other children… but this one…

She clenched her hands into fists, her jaw tightening. The Joker was behind this… he'd hurt Robin and he'd killed these children… he would pay… he would pay dearly for everything…

But… why…? Why did he kill these children…? Raven took a deep breath and looked around, forcing back unwarranted tears. What reason could the Joker have for doing this…? Was it just for fun… or was there a motive, a plan…? From the looks of the costumes, it had to have been planned…

Her eyes fell on a rope hanging from the ceiling a few feet from where she knelt. She slowly stood and made her way towards it. The frayed of it dangled right at eyesight, and she reached out a hand and touched it carefully, as though afraid it would strike out and bite her. She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make sense of it all. She glance at her feet to find more rope piled there, covered in blood. She crouched down, and slowly picked them up.

And suddenly, her whole mind was awash in emotion and pain. Her grip suddenly tensed around the ropes with all her might, her balance failing with her knees crashing to the floor. Teeth bared as she clamped her eyes tight, excruciating agony throbbing through her head and heart.

…it was him… She could sense him… his spirit, his presence, his remnants… whatever you could call it… somehow… she could suddenly see him dangling from that rope… she could hear his shrieks as gunfire sounded… could see the terror in those young faces before their lives were destroyed in front of him… She nearly doubled over as it washed over her, dousing her in a frozen hell, pulling at her brain, threatening to shatter her mind to pieces…

…just like his had been….

"Raven…?"

Beast Boy had finally made his way over to where she knelt, his eyes wide as he was staring down at her. He felt helpless, useless… what was there to do… so many lives… what could he do…? And here he stood, staring down at Raven, watching in alarm as tears rolled heavily down her cheeks. "Raven!" he gasped, leaning closer. Crying? Raven never cried. Her face was screwed up, like she was in pain… and crying…? "Raven, what's wrong?"

Raven couldn't speak, but she released her grip a little on the rope, holding it out towards Beast Boy with one hand. Beast Boy looked down at it curiously before becoming a canine once more, leaning forward and flaring his nose over it. He gave a small whine, eyes shooting wide as he recognized that smell. Robin… it was Robin's blood… he'd know it anywhere, the guy had gotten hurt enough on their missions…

"What does that mean…?" he murmured once he returned to normal, kneeling beside Raven with wide eyes in fear. "Raven…?"

"It means… we're too late…" Raven croaked with a rare voice full of emotion. Her eyes suddenly widened, transfixing themselves to the bare wall before her, looking haunted and lost. "They… broke him…..he's broken…"

"…broken….?" Beast Boy repeated numbly. He blinked at her in bewilderment for a long moment, before stammering, his voice laced with dread. "What do you mean broken? How can you tell? Maybe he's just---"

"His mind…" she choked out, looking back down at the ropes. Beast Boy looked up at her gaze, recognizing that distant, otherworldly stare… understanding she was seeing something he could not. Raven's hands gripped the cords once more, dropping her head, as though in prayer. "This was his breaking point… they used these kids… they were what finally made him snap… finally made him give in to them… and it destroyed his mind…"

Beast Boy stared dully at the girl, still not quite understanding… or maybe he didn't want to understand. Raven seemed to sense this as she lifted her head, focusing on him once more, the pure emotion in her deep purple gaze turning his chest cold.

"Even if he's alive… even if we find him… we can't help him… Robin, as we knew him, is gone…"

* * *

**A/N**

Ooooooooh, the suspense! Can't you just FEEL it?! 8D Isn't it DELICIOUS?!?! It tastes like cheesecake, doesn't it?? :3 Or maybe that's just me.

... oh, were you hoping for Robin in this chapter? XD Guess you just gotta wait a bit longer, you do. Yup yup!

R&R and I'll see you during Arkham Asylum pt 2! (Or whatever else I happen to name it)


	51. Arkham Asylum Part 2

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 51**: Arkham Asylum - Part 2

**Author's Note:**

Do you guys remember how I mentioned that my take on the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker plotline focuses a lot on the "What-ifs?" What if it was the Titans and not Batman? What if it was Dick Grayson, not Tim Drake?

Well, the biggest what-if is coming up… and it's going to head down the other path... I wont ruin it for you by telling you what that "what if" is. Just keep this in mind as you read this chapter, before you, well… um… kill me… *eyes shift to Autumnights nervously*

This is the longest chapter of the story… as well as the most intense… just thought it's fair to warn you guys, um, yeah… **make sure you wont be interrupted or distracted while reading this!** Trust me on this one… you don't want the suspense to be ruined! (_I_ don't want it to be ruined for you!)

As usual, tell me what you think -- ESPECIALLY for this chapter... I've been waiting over five years to be able to post this chapter....

(Don't kill me)

* * *

Time seemed to stretch from seconds into years as they sat together in the hospital wing, staring down at Aqualad's communicator that sat between him and the twins, waiting for some update, some hint as to what was happening. Aqualad's forehead crinkled, his arms crossing, fingers drumming absentmindedly on his tricep as impatience settled in. The others no doubt had already made it to Gotham… he just wished he could see what was going on… it was frustrating sitting here, not knowing, and not being able to help… it was excruciating, even…

He sighed and glanced up. The twins had gathered some coloring books and crayons in their boredom, their speed allowing them to color pictures at an astonishing rate, both of them working in one book, one on each page. Every five to ten minutes, they cast aside one coloring book and picked up another. They're crayons were disappearing by the minute. Aqualad was grateful that Bumblebee had kept so many coloring books, comic books and other distractions in stock for the young Guatemalan heroes, but he could already tell they were quickly becoming bored with that and would want something else to do.

Starfire was hovering around the room, a flying version of pacing, absentmindedly playing with her hair and looking around at nothing in particular, a very worried look on her face. Aqualad unfolded his arms and leaned forward with a small sigh, unable to help but feel bad for her. It was no secret to anyone how much Robin meant to her… he hoped, for her sake, that he was brought home safely…. Hell, he hoped for everyone's sake as well… Robin was the creator of the whole Titans concept… without him… it was just hard to imagine the Titans without him….

His black eyes trailed back down to the communicator, just in time to see the time change to the next minute. He sighed again, running his good hand through his long dark hair. He just felt so nervous… so uncertain about all this… it was as though he expected something to go wrong. He hardly ever felt this way, so the fact that he did now only made him feel more ill at ease.

If only he knew what was happening… and if only they had let him come along…

"This sucks…" he finally murmured, bending a knee upwards and laying his casted arm on it with a scowl. "This really sucks."

"Si…" murmured one of the twins as he casted aside another completed coloring book. He looked around with a pout, then glanced at Aqualad. Aqualad recognized the sudden mischevious spark, that glance from one twin to the other, and suddenly cried out as he found small hands tugging at his broken arm, markers flying as the twins quickly decorated the plaster surface of his cast with silly doodles and cryptic Spanish words and phrases.

"Ack! I-gack-come on, knock it off!" he shouted, as the twins, and even Starfire, snickered.

On the other coast, the other members of the Teen Titans weren't exactly sitting around bored waiting for any news. Cyborg bent over Kid Flash, whose pain only seemed to be getting worse as the electricity continued to surge through his body. Frustration clenched at Cyborg's temple, making it throb. How was he supposed to stop the containment field, when Slade clearly had the remote controlling it?

And how was he supposed to do anything with a destroyed arm?

He had to enlist Jinx's help to type information into the communicator built into his undamaged arm to search the databases for any information on containment fields. (Thankfully, he had foresight enough to keep the Titans' server located someplace other than the Tower) At some point while Jinx scrolled through the information, he logged away the thought in the back of his mind that maybe he should consider installing a second communicator in his leg for a situation like this… it was a pain in the butt not having a right arm….

And even though his attention was focused on Kid Flash's ordeal, his mind was definitely elsewhere, with Bee and Beast Boy and Raven and Speedy…. And Robin….

And he cursed his own mind, for constantly reminding him of those images Slade had showed him… the images of Robin being…

_Please, Robin… hang in there just a little longer… they're on their way…_

* * *

Speedy and Bumblebee had arrived to the front door to find it unbolted and unlocked… Bumblebee had half expected to have to charge her way in, or sneak in through a window, but the double doors just swung right in once she put her weight into them, revealing a great huge open foyer. It was half-lit by dying lights, a chair or two remaining from what must once have been a waiting room, a broken receptionist desk lying in a puddle of water that was still dripping from the skylights in the high ceilings. The cloudy sky looked blood red from the light casted by the city of Gotham. It gave the whole place an even more ominous feeling. Bumblebee glanced over at Speedy, who had his bow ready, an arrow already cocked, looking around with narrowed eyes.

Neither of them moved or spoke for a moment as they both realized they could hear something… it was faint, coming from one of the hallways adjoining the main room… a female voice singing a familiar tune… a lullaby. The two Titans East members exchanged bewildered glances, Speedy murmuring a "What the hell?" as he recognized the tune. It was "Hush Little Baby"… Bumblebee looked towards the hallway it seemed to be coming from.

"Let's go…" she said in a very small voice, not wanting to be heard.

"Do you think they know we're here?" Speedy asked in a grumble, following her.

"What does it matter…? We need answers… we need to find out what they did to Robin… where he is…"

Speedy nodded and looked around as they moved forward down the corridor towards the voice, tilting their ears to discern which directions to take as they passed vacant rooms with broken doors, empty stairwells, other hallways. A shiver rocked through Bumblebee's back as the voice grew closer. It echoed through the hallway, sounding hollow and ghost-like, making the spookiness of the half-demolished building even more pronounced.

They found themselves standing at a crossroads, the sound coming from two directions – the huge double doors before her labeled "Operating Theater" and the stairs just beside them, leading upwards with. Bumblebee and Speedy looked at one another, and she motioned for him to take the stairs. He nodded with a stern seriousness to his face as they split ways, him bounding up the stairs as Bumblebee turned back towards the doors. She took a deep breath, checking her stingers hanging from her belt as though to be sure they hadn't run off on her, and then with one more breath, charged forward, throwing the double doors open with both hands, shoulders hunched, eyes set in a furious glare… a Titans leader, confronting the enemy like a lioness hunting prey…

She was taken completely aback by what greeted her… it was like the scenery for a play… false walls constructed, painted with a kitchen-like wallpaper print, even a window and curtains included. There was a table with a checkered tablecloth, appliances, rugs, little decorations here and there.

And behind the table stood a woman, dressed in a jester's costume, face painted mime-like, holding up a vase of flowers admiringly. Her voice faltered on the lyrics to the song, stopping altogether as she peered past the ceramic vase, eyeing the girl before her a moment before setting the vase down and lifting her head towards the balcony behind her.

"Puddin'! Company!"

Bumbleebee's eyes furrowed, and she saw movement. Her eyes darted past Harley, following a set of metal stairs up to a balcony on the opposite side of the room. It was staged as a mock living room set, and there was someone sitting in a large plushy armchair with its back turned to her. Whoever was in it leaned forward as the woman spoke, his gaunt white face turning around the winged sides of the chair, looking in Bumblebee's direction curiously. After a moment, his eyebrows popped in acknowledgement, and he sprang to his feet, a familiar smile spreading across his face.

"Why hello there!" the Joker greeted in a cheerful voice, getting to his feet and making his way to the stairwell, traveling down it with a sickening smile. "I'm terribly sorry, but if you're selling Girl Scout cookies, I'm afraid we already purchased some. Better come back next year…"

Bumblebee grimaced. If there was anything she disliked more, it was being treated like a little girl. She stormed forward, her zappers out and ready to fire. "What have you done with Robin?!" she snapped viciously.

The two clown's looked shocked, confused. They glanced at one another in puzzlement.

"Robin? There's no Robin here…"

"Maybe she means our little Jay," spoke up Harley with a wave of her hand.

"Of course! That's it!" exclaimed the Joker with a snap of his fingers, as though it was quite obvious. Bumblebee eyed him suspiciously… Jay…? The Clown Prince of Crime pointed to his right, past Harley, towards a large blue curtain that hung ominously on the opposite wall, obscuring a large entryway.

Above them, in a balcony full of observational seating behind Bumblebee, Speedy crept forward, down the aisle steps, hunching low so no one would see him. He gripped his bow tightly in his hand as he reached the front row of seats, moving in front of them, peeking over to see what was happening.

Bumblebee moved forward, shoving Harley out of the way, heading for the curtain.

"Ah ah! No peeking!" Harley sang. Bumblebee spun around, and found herself staring down the barrel of a bazooka. It fired with a puff of smoke, and suddenly, she was slamming backwards on the floor, her body wrapped neck to foot tightly in a large tangle of red ribbon, their satin strands wider than the thickest part of her arms.

Speedy swung his bow up and pulled the string taut towards his ear, anger boiling through him, but Bumblebee's gaze met his, and she waved her hand that was stuck at her side, signaling for him to wait. He froze, a little bewildered, then it dawned on him that she wanted to wait, to hear what these madmen had to say… he gave a silent groan and lowered his bow, but kept the arrow notched, ready if anything were to happen.

"Mommy's little helper!" Harley chirruped sweetly, patting the bazooka. The Joker made his way to her side, and kissed her gingerly on the cheek. Bumblebee nearly gagged. It was like something out of a hokey old romance movie… only a sick and twisted clown version…

"You know, deary," the Joker said, looking down at Bumblebee. "Harley and I here have been Gotham's greatest for a long time… it's been loads of laughs! But the sad fact is, we're not getting any younger…"

"That ol' clocks a tickin'!" Harley chimed up, stepping forward and patting her belly.

"Quite right, Poo! And Harley and I were thinking it was time for us to start a family. Add a Joker Junior to our merry brood!"

"But rather than go through all the _joy_ of childbirth, we decided to adopt," Harley continued, waving her hands with a disgusted look on her face. The Joker reached out and clasped her hands, the two of them grinning merrily as they walked together past Bumblebee, heading to the blue curtain.

"We couldn't do it legally, but then we remembered that there was always a ton of you kids just hanging around…" The Joker moved to one side of the curtain, and Harley to the other one.

"…So we borrowed one…." The Joker's voice, which had sounded cheerful and pleasant up to this point, like an ordinary person chatting with an old friend, suddenly deepened, turning into a cold, sickening rumble of pure evil. Bumblebee's heart pounded in her ears as she watched the two jesters pull the curtains apart in unison, revealing what was behind.

The sight took a long moment to sink in.

"…No…" Bumblebee breathed, her eyes widening, her face turning an ashen color as she peered into the shadowed room.

"My god…" Speedy gasped in a soft voice from where he stood, his bow lowering completely to his lap as he stared through the opening, at a thin, pale figure that leaned belted to a tilted platform… yet, the figure wasn't being held captive by it, it was simply helping him stay on it… he wore a purple suit with a pair of shorts, his legs, the only bare part of him Speedy could see from where he crouched, was a terrible hue of white, just like the Joker's… Gloved fingertips rested against one another, like a gesture of contemplation or waiting.

"He needed a little molding of course – what kid doesn't?" the Joker began to explain, pressing a button on a remote, which caused the reclined platform to roll forward towards the light of the room… Speedy's stomach twisted, reminded suddenly of the Frankenstein movies he'd always loved so much…

…he decided he would never watch one again after this…

"But in time, we came to love him as our own," the Joker continued as the platform's wheels squeaked to a halt. He leaned towards the boy strapped there, whose face was still hidden in shadow. The Joker held out a finger. "Say 'hello,' Jay-Jay…"

The figure moved… a terrible, familiar smile flashed by the light of the large operation room. And then the boy leaned forward, becoming fully illuminated as those huge fluorescent lights beat down on him.

There was nothing that could have prepared Bumblebee for it. Her breath escaped her chest as she found herself staring numbly up at a terribly white, hideously smiling face… wide eyes, completely devoid of any emotion or life… a terrible laugh rolled through the boy's throat, high, cold, beginning softly, then growing louder…

A Joker child… a Joker Junior…

He unhooked the belt from around his waist, freeing himself from the table, leaping off with agile, bouncy steps to the ground, laughing even harder as he straightened as much as he could. His shoulders were curled forward, his elbows bent, hands twisted in a tense, clawlike manner… all the while, laughing a terrible, nauseating cackle of madness… soulless eyes staring right through her…

And everything fell still for a long moment, that laugh permeating Bumblebee's whole being, her very heart, ripping it to shreds inside her chest.

…there…was no way… it couldn't be….

…Robin…?

There was a soft twang of fiber, and the Joker ducked only just in time, a barrage of yellow arrows slicing through the blue fabric behind him as Speedy leapt down from the balcony. Rage had exploded in the archer as the realization of what'd happened gripped him fully. His quick, nimble fingers pulled three more arrows from his quiver, knocking them to the string all at once and pointing them straight at the Joker, his anger showing completely on his face. The Joker simply began to laugh, a deep, disturbing cackle that rumbled deep in his throat. He beckoned Speedy with his fingers before pressing a button on his remote, the table Joker Junior had come in on suddenly shooting forward for the Gotham villain to leap onto, driving away with Speedy chasing after him, firing arrows wildly at him with a shout of pure and complete hatred.

He had turned Robin into a mini-Joker… had mutilated and disfigured him… had brainwashed him… and he was going to pay for it…

Harley had pulled Jay aside, holding his shoulders gently, almost caringly. The boy shifted under her grasp, his head turning away from the action. Harley looked down at him curiously, wondering what he was looking at, following his gaze.

She cried out as Bumblebee suddenly appeared, having shrunk to free herself from the ribbons. She barreled straight into Harley with her feet, causing the villainess to sail across the room and slam into a huge pile of cardboard boxes made to look like a child's set of alphabet blocks.

Bumblebee landed, turning to the teenaged boy with the smile carved into his face, hoping to see that he was relieved she was there. But instead, he had moved away, towards Harley…

Bumblebee's mind was racing with horror. Was Robin even in there? Was he even relieved they were there to save him? …why was he going after Harley and not her? …was this a case of Stockholm Syndrome? …was he just playing along? Was this just a trick?

Bumblebee snatched him by the arm, pulling him to her with a hand gripping each shoulder, staring down into those soulless, colorless eyes.

"Robin! Robin!" she gasped desperately, not daring to blink as their eyes held each other.

He was the one who broke contact, laughter gripping him once again. The sound of it made her skin break out in goosebumps, the back of her neck prickling in terror. He threw his head back… laughing to the ceiling, eyes wide and unblinking.

"No… Come on, Robin… I know you're in there…" she gasped desperately. She paused again to hear nothing but laughter, and then leaned in, with a very hushed voice so no one would hear. "Dick… it's Karen… can you hear me?"

But all he did was continue laughing, not a flicker of recognition in his eyes….

…no sign of the boy, the hero, he once was…

…he was completely out of his mind… the Joker had…

…_no… good God, no…_

The Joker sped around a corner of the room, the arrows aimed at him hitting the wall instead. Speedy tore around the corner, sprinting as fast as he could after the Joker. With a press of a button his remote, the platform suddenly catapulted the Joker up, like a teeter-totter. He leapt over the false kitchen wall, vanishing behind it. Speedy snatched up a different-looking arrow and fired it; it exploded upon hitting the scenery drop, shredding it to splinters. He plowed through the smoke and chased the Joker down the hallway, and up a flight of stairs, fully ready to bring him down with everything he had, his heart screaming inside his chest.

…it was too personal… they were too close in age, too close in personality… too close in history… always trying to best each other… always trying to prove something to one another, and to the others with powers, that they weren't…

…and now…

…_that son of a bitch…_

Jay, noticing the Joker's exit, suddenly tore himself out of Bumblebee's hands, dipping under her shoulder and racing towards where the villain had disappeared.

"Robin! Stop!" Bumblebee gasped, reaching to grab him again, but a rush of black and red obscured her vision, and something slammed hard into the side of her head, knocking her to the ground.

"Hands off, Bug Girl!" Harley snapped down at the fallen girl, and then turned. "Sweetie!" she called to Jay, who paused in and turned in acknowledgement. "Get Mommy's bazooka!"

Bumblebee was quickly up again, shooting forward and slamming her fists into Harley with all her might, her anger and despair pouring fourth in a rush of screams, punches, and kicks. She pushed Harley back across the room, towards the table. Harley suddenly gripped one of the backs of the chairs, using it to propel herself into a flip over the table and out of Bumblebee's range. She cartwheeled through another set of double doors, disappearing. Bumblebee jumped into the air and soared off after her, whipping her stingers out as she slammed the doors open, flying outside into the rain, after Harley.

She was going to pay for what happened… for Robin…

…For Robin…

Rain was falling harder than ever, lightning crackling loudly overhead. She turned to see Harley sprinting down one way, and she shot after her, pushing herself as hard as her wings could carry her, hatred like a fire in her chest.

…_Robin… how could they… how could she…?! _Bumblebee's mind was screaming as she fired shots at Harley, who rounded a corner, narrowly avoiding getting hit. Bee followed her, and then braked to a halt, hovering in midair as she found herself staring down a deep chasm, the demolished half of the building… she landed and stared over the edge… she couldn't tell where it ended, just a pit that descended down into the basements of the building and on into the caverns that existed beyond that...

Water dripped down his face and over her wings… she silently cursed the rain, realizing it was going to make it much harder for her to fly… She spun around, searching her surroundings for Harley… around her stood the bare skeleton of the abandoned mental hospital, which now resembled more of a parking garage than anything, outer walls gone and just the levels and innards exposed.

That clown was around here somewhere….

Bumblebee began walking back, knowing that if she made herself vulnerable, the woman would present herself. Anger still boiled in her veins, and it grew stronger with every step.

"How could you…?" Bumblebee growled darkly to the emptiness around her, the face of the soulless, brainless shell of what had been the first Titan leader still vivid in her mind's eye. She gritted her teeth, her fists clenching in terrible fury as she thought of his team, of his friends… of all the pain they had already suffered, and would suffer further because of all this..... "How could you help the Joker do it?!"

"Okay, so he roughed the kid up a bit," the woman's voice rang, not sounding a bit sorry. "But I'll make it right!"

Bumblebee glanced around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. "Yeah, you're mother of the stinkin' year…" she snarled.

"Ha! You'll see!" There was a moment of silence, and Bumblebee felt her skin begin to crawl in warning as the woman continued, "We'll be one big happy family…"

Bumblebee turned. Something was about to happen.

Up on one of the exposed floors, Harley stood with a huge chunk of concrete over her head, Bumblebee turned away from her, in perfect range….

Then, a whistle caught both their attention. Bumblebee spun around, and there stood the former Boy Wonder, his gaunt, haunted smile more terrifying than ever.

And in his hands, Harley's bazooka.

Bee was dumbstricken for a moment. Had he actually obeyed her…? Was he helping her…? He could be running away, but instead…

_God, what did they do to you?_

"Good boy!" Harley cheered. Bumblebee could hear her perfectly now – she was just behind her. Bumblebee quickly tore forward, to grab the bazooka from the boy's hand, but Robin threw it upward, so it sailed over her head. Bee spun to fly up and grab it, but Harley had already dove forward from her hiding place up above, grabbing the bazooka out of the air and landing, it already cocked and ready to fire. Jay sprinted away behind her, back towards the building, as though to get out of harm's way.

"Shit!" Bumblebee shouted as a blast deafened her. She leapt quickly to the air, knowing the projectiles wouldn't be ribbons this time.

Debris showered on her from the wayward shots as she dodged back and forth, a couple shots almost hitting her. She shot forward into the sky above the huge chasm, hearing one more shot fire, an explosion rocking someplace below her.

Harley gripped the weapon, looking around warily to see where the chocolate-colored girl had gone… she looked upward, and a cry escaped her.

Bumblebee screamed a war cry as she slammed right into the woman, punching her square in the jaw with one tight fist. Harley jerked around and fell, the bazooka falling from her hands as Bumblebee bent over her to do more damage.

And then, a blast echoed as the bazooka hit the ground, activating the trigger.

Bumblebee looked up to see a bazooka shell shooting straight for them. She leapt out of the way as the shell hit and exploded, sending Harley careening over the cliff beside her with a scream. Bumblebee felt her heroic instinct kick in as she reached out to grab the hand of the falling villain, her sudden jerk of weight causing Bumblebee to fall with her.

Panic took hold as gravity clutched them both, threatening to pull them all the way down into the dark pit of the chasm. Bumblebee flapped her wings, praying to every divine power that might exist that the rain hadn't made her unable to fly. After a long, agonizing moment, the fall slowed, and she found herself hovering in air, still holding onto Harley's wrist. She shot upward, readjusting her hold on the villain, her ascent jerky and turbulent as her wings threatened to fail on her. She held her breath the entire way, until she threw the villain onto the concrete ground and landed beside her, gasping for breath.

"What'd you go and do that for?! What kind of hero are you?!"

Bumblebee looked up incredulously as the sole of Harley's shoe sailed straight into her face. She cried out as she found herself rolling dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, one of her wings creasing painfully beneath her as she landed on them. She managed to stop herself before reaching the edge, getting on her hands and knees and facing the villain, squinting with one eye shut, gritting her teeth in pain.

But Harley had already grabbed up the bazooka, aiming it straight at Bumblebee's head.

"It's over, Bug Girl!" Harley sang with a crooked smile. "Say goodnight…"

* * *

Speedy sprinted around the corner, his breath heaving in his chest, in his own ears. He barreled through a swinging door, finding himself back up in the auditorium seating he'd started off in, the false house set sprawled out below him. He looked around, between the seats, over the banister, walking along the front row and turning to see all angles, trying to figure out where the Joker had gone.

"What's the matter, boy?" the Joker's terrible voice suddenly reverberated throughout the room, sounding like it was coming from everywhere. "No witty comebacks? No threats? What kind of hero are you? I thought all of you did that…."

Speedy clutched his bow tighter in his hands, clenching his jaw so hard his teeth threatened to crack. Ordinarily he would have had something to say, but the pure wrath and horror that coursed through him somehow silenced him.

"Well," the voice continued, followed by a loud slamming sound as panels of lights began shutting off one by one, leaving Speedy standing in complete darkness. He spun around and stumbled a few paces backwards with adrenaline pumping through his veins, expecting the Joker to leap out of thin air to take him down. But instead, he just went on, "I guess I'll provide the narration…"

A light flicked on, shining straight from the wall, blinding the archer for a moment. He spun around to shield his eyes, finding himself facing a large movie screen, flickering alive with a black and white projection. Speedy gaped at it as the words "Our Family Memories" sprawled across it, going in and out of focus before vanishing, revealing the feet of the Joker backed by pure darkness. His hand came into screen, prompting the cameraman (or woman, Speedy suspected) to move the camera upwards, focusing on his face.

"I'll start with how I peeled back the layers of the boy's mind…" the Joker began, causing Speedy to clench his jaw even harder as he watched the camera span over a table covered with various chemicals, weapons, and tools… all of it looking horrendous and well-used….

Then, the shot changed, and Speedy gaped as he saw Robin, the brave Titan leader, secured to a platform, his arms and legs both strapped tightly… he was struggling with all his might, but was unable to free himself… the Joker continued his narration in a matter-of-fact voice, "Though he bravely tried to fight it at first…"

The movie continued, like a terrible dream void of sound. The Joker donning a chef's hat and a "Kiss the Cook" apron, smiling and waving at the camera like it was a home movie… pulling the cover off a charcoal barbeque while licking his lips… pulling out a pair of buzzing, electrified clamps and snapping them a few times to reveal their voltage. He moved to Robin, clamping them to his platform, the Boy Wonder sweating, shaking, looking terrified… a look Speedy had never fully witnessed before in the Titan leader.

"I'm sure all of you would have been proud to see him so strong," the Joker continued, as Robin on the screen arched his back as lightning began pouring into him, emitting a silent scream that seemed to pierce Speedy's eardrums anyway, causing all the hair on his head to stand up as he gaped up at the screen in horror.

He couldn't believe this… he couldn't believe he was seeing this… he couldn't believe this had happened…

He couldn't believe that Robin… that this… that he…

"But all too soon," the Joker went on, "the serums and shocks took their toll… and the lad began to share such secrets with me… secrets that are mine alone to know. About everything. About Batman. Even about the Titans, and about you, Roy."

Everything went cold through Speedy's veins. His eyes remained planted on the screen, but his attention fully focused on the Joker's voice. He knew…?

"Tell me, kid. What's it like to see Robin like this? The two of you were once so alike… the same past… orphans with special talents… the eventual wards of billionaire playboys, acting as their sidekicks when they played superhero… What's it like to see him broken…?"

Speedy growled low in the back of his throat, clutching his bow.

He did know… he knew everything…

"Your histories even coincide in that you both parted ways from your new daddies… although it sounds like your story is a little different than his… Do you still hate him, boy? Do you still hate how he abandoned you, ignored you…? It's not like you have your drugs to keep you occupied anymore…"

Anger seared through his chest like lightning, and he found himself spinning away from the screen, snapping an arrow into position and pointing it straight at the window beside the projector light. He didn't even wait to see the face of the Joker before he fired the shot, causing the window to shatter.

"Well well!" the Joker laughed, the sound of glass shattering echoing through the speakers. "Don't get all pissy with me young—ACK!"

Speedy had leapt up the row of seats, launching himself off the top chair and hurtling himself through the broken window frame, slamming right into the villain.

"SHUT UP!" Speedy hollered at the top of his lungs, his fingers clutching the Joker's coat with all his might, causing his shoulders to shake. "SHUT UP ABOUT ROBIN! SHUT UP ABOUT ME! YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL THIS!!"

"Come now…" the Joker laughed. "If you don't like the movie, I got slides!"

Speedy cried out and flung the Joker over his shoulder, right through the empty window frame, causing the villain to sail over the rows of seats, slamming hard on top a pile of huge alphabet blocks. Speedy forgot about his bow as he raced after him, his mind red with hatred. He leapt onto the blocks as the Joker lifted himself up, glancing down to see the smiling face of Jay, who stood just staring from below. Speedy grabbed the Joker up and slammed him into one of the blocks before them.

"I'll break you in two…" Speedy threatened in a dark voice.

"Oh come now. You're a kid. You don't have the guts…" the Joker teased. Blood was dribbling from his mouth as he spoke.

"You wanna bet?!" Speedy spat dangerously, leaning in.

"Now…" the Joker went on in a chirrupy voice, as though he hadn't heard the teenager. "I, on the other hand…"

Something shone out of the corner of Speedy's eye. The next thing he knew, pain seared across his chest as a knife sliced straight through his costume and scored a deep cut into him. He cried out and wheeled backwards, trying to get a hold of himself, to keep from falling, to keep from making himself too vulnerable… alarms shrieking inside his own head. More pain erupted in his leg as the Joker brought the blade right down into it, burying it up to the handle. Speedy cried out and found himself falling backwards, off the blocks, slamming into a huge pile of them below before slamming painfully to the hard concrete, his vision going black for a long moment. The next thing he knew, he heard the Joker's deep, sinister voice humming in his ear.

"You failed… you all did… Robin is mine… And the last thing you will hear will be our laughter…."

Speedy groaned as he felt his body leave the ground, the Joker grabbing his costume by the shoulder and heaving him up. Speedy's vision swam in and out of focus as the Joker turned towards Jay.

"Here you go, sonny boy!" the Joker said merrily, tossing a gun at the smiling teen, who stepped forward and caught it, his smile never faltering as he looked up at the Joker with those empty eyes. The Joker held Speedy straight out to his right, the Titan's feet barely grazing the ground as the villain went on, "Make Daddy proud! …Deliver the punch line…"

Speedy felt panic gripping him as the other teen began to laugh again, aiming the gun straight at the Titan. He pulled the trigger once, causing Speedy to flinch, only to peek back to see that a flag had extended from the gun. For a moment, Speedy wondered if that was it… the "punchline" so to speak… But as the teen's maniacal laughter doubled, Speedy realized what was going to happen, and fear clutched his chest tightly. He tried to move, to break free, but his body wasn't responding… his head pounded, he could feel blood dripping from his wounds… his vision kept blurring as he looked back up at the boy who had once been the greatest Titan… and a good friend…

"Dick…" he breathed in disbelief, eyes growing wide. The boy continued to laugh, shaking a little as his grip tightening on the handle.

But he was hesitating… Hope bore into Speedy's heart as he continued to stare at the white-faced teenager. He was hesitating… he didn't want to do it…

Maybe Robin was still in there, somewhere… and Robin would never…

"Do it!" the Joker shouted, impatience and anger lacing his voice.

Jay continued laughing, more maniacal then ever. A focused look suddenly crossed his trembling face, teeth biting lip, laughter seeping out of the corner of his mouth… one eye closing… aiming…

"DICK!" Speedy screamed as panic clutched him completely, the hair on the back of his neck going completely straight in terror.

Then, he fired.

* * *

Bumblebee cried out as she heard the bazooka fire, throwing her hands over her face, as though that was going to save her… her mind was blaring sirens. This was it. If she wasn't killed immediately, she was going to either be badly burned, permanently wingless, or sent flying off the cliff to her doom… she was done for…

She heard the deafening explosion around… another scream ripped through her lungs… but she didn't feel anything… no fire, no pain, no movement at all. Cautiously, she peeked through one eye to see an orb of darkness surrounding her.

"Raven?" she gasped incredulously.

Harley turned around in time to see a huge green dinosaur come out of nowhere, its tail swinging and slamming her across the ground, into a far, half-broken wall.

"Great timing, guys," Bee panted as the barrier around her disintegrated away. Raven walked up to her and helped her to her feet, as Beast Boy shifted into a wolf and began to advance on Harley.

"N-nice doggie…" Harley said with a nervous smile, inching away from the huge canine coming closer with his teeth dripping with saliva.

But then, Beast Boy stopped. His nostrils flared, sniffing the air before dropping close to the ground. He suddenly gave a strange yelp and bounded forward, past Harley, down the path back to the main building.

"Beast Boy!" Raven shouted, flying after him.

Harley bowled over laughing as both the Titans vanished towards the building. "Wow, you guys are stupid! How A.D.D. can you… um… can you…" Her voice trailed off as she realized that Bumblebee now stood right before her, buzzers in hand, skulls practically glowing in her angry gaze. The villainess's eyes grew wide. "Uh, oh…"

Beast Boy ignored the sounds of shrieks and buzzing, along with anything Raven was shouting after him… all he could pay attention to was this smell… and the hope it planted in him.

It was Robin. He smelled Robin. It wasn't the scent of Robin having been there days ago, like he'd smelled in the room with the dead children… no, this was fresh, recent… very recent… Robin had been here…

Was he alive…? Was he alright? Had he escaped? Was he fighting?

He skidded round a corner, barreling forward as fast as his feet could carry him. He found himself in a corridor, following the scent to a pair of huge double doors.

His ears pricked as he neared, hearing a loud, terrified shout.

"DICK!"

Green eyes widened. Dick… Robin…

Beast Boy morphed to normal and threw the doors open, adrenaline, endorphins, anger pouring through his veins. He was ready. Ready to take down the Joker. Ready to save Robin. Ready for all this to end.

And then, everything stopped.

It happened quickly… and yet, slowly… the sound of gunfire… the fear in Speedy's masked eyes… the smile on the Joker's face… a projectile with a flag attached to it sailing from the gun, the gun in the hand of a figure in purple clothes matching those of the Gotham madman…

And Beast Boy gaped in complete horror as the projectile struck home. A gasp of pain and shock, a body jerking backwards from the force… masked eyes suddenly going dim… a terrible smile spreading across a young face…

A long, agonizing moment passed, before the Joker released his hold on the Titan, causing him to fall to the floor…

…he didn't move again…

Terrible laughter consumed the room, crashing down on Beast Boy's shoulders, causing his knees to hit the floor. He couldn't breathe… he tried but he couldn't… his shoulders trembled with shock and despair… he wanted to scream, to cry, to shout for help, but nothing was happening... just one voice in the back of his mind…

_He's dead… good god he's dead!_

He didn't want to believe it… there was no way… no… just unconscious… Speedy was only unconscious… he would be fine… just fine…

But somewhere, he knew… he just knew…

_Speedy…_

The clown looked completely smug as he looked from the boy lying at his feet up to the boy holding the gun. A huge, demonic smile cut across his ghostly face. "That's my boy…" he murmured proudly.

"…Robin…"

Beast Boy snapped his head up, realizing Raven was standing right beside him. Her eyes were the widest he'd ever seen them, her mouth parted in horror, her skin sucked of all color as she stared out into the room. Beast Boy followed her gaze, his skin prickling with cold dread.

She was looking at the white skinned, purple-clad boy… the one with the gun…

His own eyes widened in disbelief as understanding dawned….

It was Robin… that boy was Robin…

But… it couldn't be…

He…he wouldn't… Robin would never…

_Even if he's alive…even if we find him… we can't help him…_

"No…" Beast Boy found himself whispering, a hand reaching out to support his shaking weight as the full force of the situation slammed down upon his shoulders, threatening to crush him. "No, no…" was all he could whisper as he clutched a trembling hand to his mouth.

Robin… their Robin… the boy they had known for so long… their best friend and leader… was gone…

…and he had taken Speedy with him…


	52. Arkham Asylum Part 3

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 52:** Arkham Asylum, Part 3

**Author's Note**….

….I know I told each and every one of you reviewers that this chapter would be up "in a couple days" after the last one…

What the bloody heck happened?

XD Mostly I cracked under the pressure. Something just didn't feel right about this chapter when I thought I had it ready to go… something was just off....

...oh, and then my 6-mo old laptop's motherboard died.... (don't buy HP)

BUT AT LEAST I UPDATED AT ALL RIGHT?!?!? XD *can feel the scorn*

Look, as much as I want to keep promises, I don't want to if it means compromising the quality of the story... I hope you guys understand. Yeah, I should try and update more often for you guys, but really, I'm writing this story for me. **I** wanna be happy with it, because I know when I'm happy with it, you all will be too. So there. I promise you wont be disappointed....

* * *

"¡Ha sido siempre!"

"¡Deberían haber estado en contacto con nosotros por ahora!"

"¡Estoy preocupado! ¿Y si los matamos a todos?"

"¡No debería haber ido sin nosotros!"

"_Would you guys just shut up for five minutes?!"_

The twins fell into silence, their quick, jabbering Spanish abandoning the room to a tense, long emptiness. Aqualad pressed his thumb and forefinger into his eye sockets, groaning. He didn't ordinarily shout at the young speedsters with such language or force, but a harsh throbbing had begun just beneath the part of his hair, while his stomach twisted with unwarranted anxiety.

But he knew the twins were right. (After living with them as long as he had, he had learned enough Spanish to get the gist of their ramblings). The others had been gone far too long and had not reported in… who knows what sort of trouble they had gotten into.

But he couldn't contact them…. Not yet… It could endanger their mission. He dropped his hand and glanced back down at the screen of the communicator that rested on the bed before him, scowling silently at its unchanged display – unchanged save for the battery symbol flashing half-full in the corner.

Why did he feel so worried… so troubled?

It's almost like he knew something had gone wrong… he sighed and curled over his crossed legs, his shoulder hunched over, as though already defeated.

He hated sitting around and feeling helpless… he hated this…

_Someone talk to us… someone tell us what's going on… please…_

Nothing could be worse than the agony of not knowing…

* * *

Across the country, Cyborg stood over the writhing form of Kid Flash. The electricity that was rendering the redhead useless had grown to a new pitch that was seriously putting him at real risk. Cyborg took a breath, hoping his suspicions were correct as he lifted one of his large metal shoes over the speedster's arm. He paused, balancing on the other foot with some difficulty, without the aid of one of his arms. He looked down at the display in his arm. The other teens beside them merely watched this display with expressions torn between interest, uncertainty and confusion as Cyborg finally brought his head down to tap a button on his arm with his nose.

There was a faint hum, as strong electromagnets in his feet suddenly came to life.

Kid Flash cried out as two tiny microchips suddenly leapt from his wrist – the wrist Slade had grabbed earlier. They hit Cyborg's foot, shooting bouts of lightning through his metal body, threatening to short circuit him as he fell backwards into the soft sand of the beach.

"Cyborg!" Jinx gasped.

Cyborg clenched his teeth as static obscured his vision. With jerky, almost robotic movements, he brought his arm up, slamming it against his face, causing his nose to hit the button to stop the magnetism. The two microchips fell from the sole of his foot, landing in the sand, grounded and disarmed. The cybernetic teen lay there a long moment, struggling and troubleshooting to make his lungs function the way they should, his vision going back and forth from static to clarity and back again a few times. Finally, he blinked, his sight returning to proper working order as he found himself staring up at Jinx and Herald's concerned faces.

"I'm… okay…" he grumbled, grunting as he forced himself to sit up, Herald grabbing his hand to help him out.

"Holy crap…" Kid Flash muttered weakly, still lying on his back, an arm over his eyes as he strained for breath. "That… that sucked…. That _really_ sucked…"

"Don't you ever worry me like that again!" Jinx suddenly spat down at the red-head, storming over to him and kicking him rather hard in the leg with one black and purple boot.

"Ow!! Hey!"

"I think you'll live," Jinx said with a small, cocky smile to her face. Her eyes revealed her genuine relief, though, and it became even more obvious as her face and smile softened. She knelt down next to him. "Glad you made it."

"Yeah, me too," he panted, propping himself up on his elbows with a great degree of difficultly. He heaved a sigh and then turned his head, looking out at the wreckage of the Tower. It seemed to take a long moment for his mind to register what he was seeing, before he swallowed hard, looking around at all of them "Glad we all made it through that…."

Cyborg glanced at his arm communicator once again, and growled in annoyance at the lack of update from Bee, and in aggravation at how much time had passed since they had left the other tower to get Robin.

What was happening over there….?

* * *

"Well, well, look who it is… Beast Brat and the devil's daughter…"

The emptiness, the sadness…. everything that accompanied death, was suddenly rudely interrupted by that terrible voice…. The two Titans looked up, realizing the Joker's attention had turned to them. After a slow, quaking breath, Beast Boy got shakily to his feet, clenching his eyes shut a moment as he strained to force away all the emotions overwhelming him… he was only partially successful, the tears that had already broken free from their moors cold on his cheeks as he glowered viciously up at the psychotic, smiling villain. He balled his hands into fists, hatred cascading through his veins like a waterfall from his shoulders down to his knuckles.

The Joker didn't look at all threatened. He beckoned to the other boy in the room, the one in the purple outfit. The boy dropped the gun and ran in springing steps to the Joker's side. The madman spun him to face the two Titans, allowing them the first straight-on view of the teen...

Beast Boy reeled back with a soft gasp of horror as the sight registered in his brain… the wide, demented eyes… the strange, manic smile made only worse by the sight of bare gum where molars had once stood… poisonous green hair… skin bleached a sickening white, like a ghost… and so skinny, like a body that hadn't been nourished in years… And then, back, to those terrible, vacant eyes…

…there was no way…. There was no way that this was Robin… their Robin… their leader… their friend….

….no way….

The Joker clapped his hands proudly on his protégé's shoulders, beaming up at the two horrified teenagers. "I'd like you both to meet Jay, my own little Joker Jr. The best son a psychopathic villain could ask for!"

Beast Boy bared his teeth, everything in his heart suddenly exploding at once. The needle on his hate meter flipped to maximum. He wanted blood… he wanted this madman to pay… he wanted everything that had happened to wash away all at once… he wanted Speedy's life back….

He wanted blood….

Beside Beast Boy, Raven said nothing. Beneath her hood, her eyes had remained wide, unwavering on the miniature Joker that stood before him. Her heart felt hollow, leaking despair as she continued to struggle to comprehend the reality before her.

…it was Robin…

…yet, she couldn't feel him… at all…

…nothing…

Could it really be true… was he really…

…he was gone…

Tears had sprung to her eyes. How could this have happened? How could Robin have…

Suddenly, his eyes, which hadn't really focused on anything in the room the whole time, met her gaze, causing a strange jolt to crawl through her spine.

And they lingered like that, for what seemed like a long moment…

That terrible smile had begun to fade…

And then she saw it, a flicker of something… vague, almost imperceptible, to the point that she was certain if she had blinked, she would have missed it… but she'd caught it nonetheless….

Did he just… recognize her…?

Suddenly, there was a terrible, howling cry from beside her, and Raven snapped painfully from her thoughts. She gaped in disbelief as Beast Boy charged into her line of sight as a ten-foot tall terrible creature that she recognized only too well… the beast controlled by anger and malice… She felt a prickle of premonition as she stood frozen, watching.

The Joker shoved his new sidekick out of the way as the huge yeti-like creature approached. There was a strange smile to his face… an odd sparkle to his demented eye…

Sirens went off in Raven's head. "NO! BEAST BOY!" she suddenly screamed, hurtling forward after him, not even fully understanding why, just knowing she needed to.

Beast Boy didn't hear her, or at least was unable to. Death and pure hatred burned in his eyes, dulling all his senses. He wanted to take the Joker down for everything he had done… wanted to rip his throat out… watch his blood stain the floor….

He held his huge, hairy green arms out, ready to grab and shred the madman apart; long, sharp teeth bared themselves in a terrible snarl, while dangerous eyes locked on the Joker's pale, skinny neck.

Blood… revenge… Speedy….

He didn't notice the Joker's hand moving until it came to rest gripping onto the flower attached to his purple lapel … the Joker turned his head away, and Beast Boy felt a rush of cold panic grip his heart, his eyes widening as he realized what was about to happen… he couldn't stop his momentum in time…

"BEAST BOY!"

A cloud of gas formed in the air before him, as the Joker dodged away with quick agility. In reflex, Beast Boy gasped, accidentally sucking in a full inhale of the Joker's toxin. A strange sensation trailed behind as it shot down his windpipe and into his lungs, a peculiar frozen fire that seized his chest up immediately, even as he was falling towards the ground… a horrible emptiness settled inside him as the floor grew closer, the entire world slowed down to a dawdling crawl as the realization slammed home in his quickly silencing mind.

…_I'm… I'm dead…_

"_NO!_"

Raven was flying faster than she ever had in her life as the purple gas swirled around Beast Boy's head. She threw her arms out, screaming her incantation, sending the Joker, the gas, everything away from Beast Boy as his body suddenly shifted to normal in midair. Her heart thudded in her ears as she shot forward, Speedy's frozen, dead face in her mind's eye as Beast Boy hit the ground.

Terror seized her heart and stole her breath. She could already feel his life fading. Fast.

"No! NO!" Despite her speed, it still took her an eternity to reach him. Her mind focused on nothing but him, forgetting about the Joker, forgetting about Robin, forgetting about everything… she immediately threw herself down beside him, yanking him onto his back. Trembling hands gripped his head, and she pressed her forehead hard against his, tear-filled eyes closing tightly as her very soul poured forth into the dying boy beneath her. She could feel tendrils of him still, the very last vestiges of his life as it drained away from his poisoned body. She gripped on with everything she had, reaching out, pouring out all she had to both cleanse his body of the toxin, while simultaneously pulling him back into it…. A cry of pain ripped through her throat as she struggled to hold on… she was slipping… she couldn't slip… she'd tumble into the darkness behind him…

Across the room, the Joker got to his feet, glaring deeply at the two Titans, his teeth bared not in a grin, but a scowl of complete indignation. He brushed a little dirt from his violet-shaded jacket, before stepping over to the gun resting upon the floor. He picked I up, shuffled in his pocket for a new round, loaded it, and aimed it at the hood of the demon girl.

"Hasta la bye-bye!" he crooned with a voice half delighted and half vengeful, as his knuckle contracted on the trigger. A new flag, this one saying "Kapow!" appeared, before he pulled again, sending the projectile flying straight for the girl's head.

But rather than hitting her, the projectile rebounded off a strange dark barrier that wavered into sight around her and the green Titan. The flag hit the ground and spun across the floor, coming to a halt at the Joker's feet. The clown scowled down at it angrily, then looked back up.

Stupid girl with her stupid powers…

"Jay!" he barked, turning to look at the boy. "Jay, I want you to… go…"

His voice trailed off as he stared down at the white-faced teenager. Jay sat upon the floor with his weight set back on his hands, his skinny legs splayed out before him, as though he was stuck halfway between lying on his back and getting back up again. His eyes were focused squarely on Raven and Beast Boy.

And he was not smiling. In fact, his face looked mortified… remorseful…

The Joker growled darkly in the back of his throat as he stormed over to the boy. He seized the teen's arm, yanking him violently up off the floor. He could feel the boy's body shaking noticeably under his grip. The boy cried out as he was hoisted to his feet, as though the Joker's grip on his upper arm hurt him. He struggled a little, his eyes shut clamped shut, his jaw set, wincing away from the Joker.

Was he resisting…?

"I don't think so…" the Joker murmured in a very dark voice, snapping around, pulling the teen with him, taking him away from the scene, from the familiar faces…

And Jay cried out again, struggling even harder. After a few more steps, the Joker paused with severe irritation setting in. He looked down at the boy whose face so much resembled his own… although now, save for the bleached skin, it looked nothing like what it should… maybe it was the tears… or the slight amount of recognition in his eye…. The Joker felt disgust in his stomach… disgust at the fact that somehow something of Robin appeared to have come back to the surface. Without much consideration, the Joker quickly seized the boy by the head, and suddenly steered him headfirst into a nearby wall. The boy crumpled easily, knocked out, his shrieks going silent as his body relaxed into the concrete.

This was not how things were supposed to go…

"Time to move to a new home…" the Joker said darkly, grabbing the boy's body and hoisting it over his shoulder with ease. He gave one last glance back at the two Titans, growling to himself before turning to the door and making his way out.

He couldn't take down the brats yet, not with that barrier in place… and he wasn't willing to stick around til he had his chance. He didn't want to risk the chance of losing his new son, not when he had yet to rub Brucey's face in the loss of his ward….

He hurried from the room, a terrible chuckle passing through his throat as he pictured the green Titan that was lying dying in the other room.

Two down, two to go… he patted the remote in his pocket with his free hand, smiling devilishly to himself. He'd take care of the other two soon enough….

* * *

Harley squealed as she stumbled through a pair of double doors back into the asylum. Her costume was a little torn, her jester's hood ripped off to reveal messy blonde pigtails. She tripped over her own two feet as a stream of electric bolts sailed over her head.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Bee shouted angrily, ignoring the pain coming from her broken wing and tired body as she sprinted after the madman's little girlfriend.

Harley rounded a corner down another hallway, where she was shocked and oh so relieved to see a very familiar form before her, lugging another form over his shoulder.

"Mr. J!" she squealed desperately, panting hard as she heard Bee's footsteps close behind her. "Help me out here, willya?"

The Joker turned, but rather than looking glad to see her, he just looked annoyed. "Get over here," he barked, reaching into the insides of his coat with his free hand.

Bumblebee hesitated just a moment as she rounded the corner to find the Joker standing down the hallway. She furrowed her eyes and pointed her stingers at them all.

"You guys better surrender or you will pay!"

"Ya ain't getting me this time, Bugsy!" the Joker called out in a false Mafia voice, swinging his arm. Bumblebee stood back as she prepared herself for the worst, but instead, a pair of clattering teeth hit the ground a few feet from her, its key spinning as it walked in circles. Bumblebee frowned down at it. What was this, some kind of distraction…?

Then, an explosion rocketed the hallway, sending her backwards into the back wall, pain screaming through her wings and back as she hit it, and worse pain searing across her face, chest and arms as searing heat ripped through the top layers of skin. She hit the floor on her hands and knees, coughing and gasping, tears welling up in her eyes. She slowly, excruciatingly, lifted her head to find herself staring at a pair of polished wingtip shoes. She lifted her chin, her eyes meeting the crimson gaze of the Joker.

A slow moment passed before one foot moved, swinging hard towards her face. She tried reaching out to block it, or counterattack it, but the pain in her body slowed her movements down too much. The next thing she knew, enormous pain erupted through her skull as the kick collided with her chin. Her body collapsed back to the floor, and everything went into a strange grayness between unconsciousness and reality… she could hear the Jokers talking, could hear them leaving… but she couldn't move to stop them.

She wasn't sure if she blacked out or not, or how much time might've passed… the pain in her head begun to subside enough to let her muscles function again. She struggled dully to her hands and knees, the world a sluggish stream of pictures around her, not really even feeling real. She blinked the haziness from her vision, rubbing her head and heaving herself slowly away from the ground and back onto her ankles, pausing a moment as she waited out the dizziness that floated through her brain. She blinked down past her knees, seeing her B-shaped stingers lying abandoned on the floor, one broken, but the other one looked okay. She picked it up and surveyed it dully, then lifted her head to survey the hallway ahead of her, where she distinctly remember the Joker's terrible gaze and horrible smile… but it was gone now, with Harley and Robin along with it… Frustration gripped her and she pounded her free hand against the wall behind her in a fist, a growl ripping through her throat.

_How could you let your guard down? You let them get away!_

A strange feeling tugged at her chest, just like when a child's hand reaches out to tug its mother's sleeve to get her attention. Bumblebee's fist remained frozen to the wall, as she glanced to her right down the other hallway, towards the big double doors leading to the operation theater.

Something didn't feel right… something _really_ didn't feel right…

She knew this feeling… only too well…

"No…" she whispered as terror gripped her. Her brain tried to convince her that she was wrong… but her heart didn't believe what it had to say… Full panic clutched her. She forced herself forward, stumbled clumsily to her feet. She broke into an urgent run as the fear grew more real inside her. The world insisted on moving at an obscenely slow pace past her as she watched the door bob closer, her hand reaching out to throw it open, the bright lights of the theater blinding her for a moment before her eyes could adjust to the new room.

And numbing disbelief clutched her as her eyes focused on the scene before her.

Raven's dark cloak, its back to her, hiding the owner of a pair of thin legs that extended perpendicular to her form, while a shaggy head of green hair rested in the crook of her arm.

Bumblebee felt the beginning of movement to get to them, despair clutching her. Beast Boy… was he…?

But then her eyes focused on a red form lying a few yards from them.

"It… can't be…" she whispered numbly, her brain suddenly not working. Her legs forgot their function, her feet rooted to the spot as her eyes grew wide, as though to allow her the ability to see something that wasn't there… to tell her something that wasn't…

But all she saw was his fallen form… the yellow flag stuck in his chest… that face, once so handsome and lively… now pale… smiling grotesquely… the sparkle of his eye, the one that was always there, always displayed the spirit of the boy behind the mask… it was gone… nothing but blank, empty orbs gazing into nothingness…

A single footstep was all she could manage. She felt so cold… so numb… her face stuck in a look of pure horror and disbelief. Understanding gripped her in its terrible clutches, squeezing all breath from her, shattering her insides into cold daggers of dread that permanently sliced through the world as she knew it.

It was Smilex… he'd been… it…

"No… no… no, no, no…" she gasped desperately as her feet finally propelled her forward, the distance she had to cross feeling further than anything she had ever journeyed before in her life. She dropped beside him, still muttering "no" repeatedly under her breath, like a mantra that was supposed to erase this from reality… like it would change everything…. Her heroic instincts sprang to action in panicked, jerking movements, a hand snapping out to pull the projectile flag from his chest. She surveyed it only a second before throwing it aside. Her hand grabbed his wrist… then pressed his jawline… his chest… overwhelming terror clutched her as she dropped her head, pressing her ear hard against his chest, able to feel the warm blood that already stained his uniform.

But there was nothing… no indication that this was anything beyond a mass of flesh and bone… the rise and fall that accompanied breathing… the gentle rhythmic heartbeat… nothing…

It can't be… it can't be…

She lifted her head slowly, eyes unblinkingly staring down at him, as though terrified she'd miss it… the one chance to…

He… he wasn't…

He couldn't be!

"Speedy!!" she screamed desperately, her fingers seizing the front of his uniform, clutching him for dear life as tears began to break free. "Speedy!! God, no! Wake up! Just wake up!!"

She ripped one of her stingers from its clip on her belt, pressing it to his chest, pulling the trigger… the light of its electric shock blinded her, his body spasmed as its energy charged through him… but his face remained contorted in that terrible smile.

"Come on, Roy… COME ON!" she screamed between the shocks.

It had to work… it had to! It'd brought Starfire back. It could bring him back. It had to! It just had to!

"Bumblebee…"

That quiet, almost feeble voice seemed to stab into her back like a traitor's blade. Bee snapped her head up, her wild frantic gaze focusing shakily on the owner of the voice.

Raven's gray face and dim violet eyes were what greeted her. Her gaze wasn't focused on Bee, but on the boy beneath her.

Her face said it all…

…he's gone…

Bumblebee hadn't even noticed just how quick her breathing had grown, how many tears had already dripped from her chin. She looked around desperately, as though the room surrounding her would give her some hint of hope, some truth she couldn't see… she had to figure out something, anything… this couldn't be it… it couldn't be…

She looked frantically back at Raven, and then down at Beast Boy, expecting to see the same dead smile on his face…

Instead, a tired, weak gaze met hers. She gaped down at him dully, at his face, a terrible ashy green, like a dying tree… at his parted lips, at the shallow breath which indicated the life that still flowed through him…

He looked so near death…. And yet somehow, he wasn't…

Raven had saved him…

She found herself staring back down at the redhead boy beneath her… at his colorless face… at his dead smile…

Raven had saved Beast Boy… but not…

"…why…?" she found herself whispering. Anger suddenly shot through her as her gaze snapped up and bore into Raven with abandon. "WHY?!"

"Bee…" Raven began.

"You could have saved him!" Bee screamed. She was suddenly on her feet, looming over Raven with her hands clutching into trembling fists. "You could have! I know you could have!!"

"I couldn't… it was too late…" Raven said softly, her eyes dropping from Bee's, as though in guilt. Bumblebee didn't even notice how weak the other girl looked, nor saw the tearstains on her face. All she saw was a pathetic Titan who did nothing.

"I KNOW YOU COULD HAVE!" Bee shrieked with everything she had, storming closer. "BUT ALL YOU CARED ABOUT WAS YOUR OWN GODDAMNED—"

A strange jerking feeling snapped through her, knocking her senses from her for a short moment before she realized she was hanging, immobilized, up in the air, surrounded by a orb of dark magic. She stared down upon Raven with a mixture of shock and seething hatred, struggling the power's relentless grip in vain. Raven merely stared back up, a cold stern look to her face, her eyes glowing white and a hand stretched out towards Bee, holding the energy firm around her.

"I couldn't do anything…" Raven said plainly in a strange hollow voice. She bowed her head, her eyes narrowing up at the chocolate-skinned Titan. But, as stern and menacing as her face looked, her voice shook, betraying the despair beneath the surface. "He was dead before he hit the ground."

That word struck her like an arrow through her chest, robbing her of breath again.

Dead….

….dead…

Bee shook her head. It… couldn't be…

There was a sudden flash of terror in Raven's eye, and Bumblebee didn't have a chance to even guess why before the entire world suddenly shifted violently, becoming a sea of fire and sound. She cried out in fear and confusion, unable to move, but the next thing she knew, the heat and sound was gone, replaced by a strange shroud of darkness. She fought to breathe, feeling herself moving, flying… what the hell was happening…?

…was she dead now, too…?

The next thing she was aware of was her body splashing hard into a pool of wet mud. She groaned harshly as the silty puddle rubbed against the raw, burnt patches of skin on her face and arms. But as she lay there, the cold mud coating her, the rain pelting her back with icy droplets, her brain felt still, almost at ease. She didn't want to move... she never wanted to move again... she just wanted to lay like that, forever, and never give a damn about the world or anyone in it ever again...

But not much time passed before the sharp smell of smoke and ash flared in her nostrils. She couldn't fight the sense of urgency it brought to her veins, the heroic instinct to act, to do something.... Before she realized it, she was getting slowly to her knees, a hand carefully wiping the coat of mud and tears from her face. She lifted her eyes to stare straight ahead of her, her stomach twisting at how much she was able to see in her limited point of view... straight before her, the hull of the Titans East airship, its blue paint hidden behind the flickering sheen of orange coming from the inferno behind her, what must have been the asylum... so that was it, was it? The Joker tried to destroy them while they were still inside... he had gotten away... but how did they manage to survive...? Her eyes remained fixed on the flickering surface of the jet as she fought to make sense of it all, but out of her peripheral vision, she saw a red figure lying just feet from her... a blurry patch of white in her cloudy side vision enough to bring the harsh pain of reality back to the forefront of her mind...

And then she saw movement. She turned her head, looking over Speedy's fallen figure, her eyes coming to rest on Raven. The other girl's face was fully in view now, her hood having fallen back to reveal both the look of anguish on her face and the stream of blood that flowed freely down half her face. She was held upright only by her two shaking arms, and they seemed ready to give on her at any moment.

"Raven..." Bee murmured, concern rising to her chest as she made a move towards her, everything becoming clear. Somehow, Raven had sensed what was to happen... she had transported them out, even when she was already so weak... But how was she bleeding...?

"I'll be fine..." Raven croaked a voice that did a good job hiding any pain she might've been feeling. She slowly lifted her head, looking over at Bee with an exhausted expression. "We... we need to get out of here..."

Bee gaped at her a moment, and then looked away with a sigh that came out more like a scoff. "Yeah... and go where...?" she said in a quiet, strained voice, her eyes focused on the puddle beneath her, which reflected the orange clouds that looked over them. Her heartstrings snapped like a broken violin as she imagined returning to the Tower now... with Speedy... She clenched her eyes shut, the mere thought of the experience sending so much emotion through her that her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't think she could handle that...

"Anywhere..." Raven croaked darkly. "Anywhere but here... The Gotham police will be here to investigate the explosion at any moment. If they catch us here, it'll raise questions... so when they run into the Joker's, it'll be obvious who Joker Jr. is..." Raven paused a moment, and looked over at Bee with a spark in her eye. "If that happens, then Robin will never be able to be Robin again..."

"So what?!" Bee spat bitterly, her hands clenching to fists in the mud as the heaviness pressed down on her shoulders. "He's lost his mind! He's on the other side! When someone's that far gone how can he ever come back?! We already lost one Titan trying to save him--"

"And do you want all that to be in vain?!"

Bumblebee looked up, dumbfounded by the sudden shift in Raven's voice. She wasn't sure she had ever heard Raven sound like that... passionate, furious, determined.... The gothy Titan had gotten to her feet, her eyes sparkling with pure emotion as she loomed over Bumblebee. "If we give up on Robin, then Speedy will have died for nothing!! Now more than ever, we _have_ to bring Robin back! We have to take down the Joker -- we have to end all of this. Whether or not Robin will ever be Robin again is-is not even what's important." Her voice cracked noticeably, causing her to stumble over her words. This seemed to sober her a little, and she fell back to her knees, her heavy wet cloak slopping in the mud as she looked down at Speedy, and then over at Beast Boy, who was struggling to breathe where he lay face-up in the mud. "All of our pain, all of this loss... if we give up on Robin... give up on saving him, give up on his good name, any of it... then the Joker wins... and Speedy will have died for nothing...." Her violet eyes looked up. "Understand?"

Bee gaped at her. She honestly didn't know what to say, and that was a very rare thing to happen to her, the usually self-confident, overbearing Titan leader. She looked around, trying to absorb it all, trying to make sense, trying to figure out what to do... she still wanted nothing more than to lie back down face-first in the mud and just let the world continue on without her... but she couldn't. Somewhere, she knew, Raven was right.

The tinny whine of sirens grew from the emptiness that surrounded them. Bee looked over at Raven, and then glanced down at Speedy, trying not to wince as she took in that terrible smile again.

"Give me a hand..." she croaked, ignoring both the trembling in her arms and the tears on her cheeks as she moved towards him.

They had to get out of there. They had to regroup, and go after the Joker. Bring Robin back...

As she pulled Speedy's stiff form to herself, feeling his cold form against her chest, a promise sprang unsolicited to her mind.

_It wont have been in vain..._ she thought to him, wherever he was now. _I promise, Roy. I'll bring him back... Just... give me strength..._ she added, as she felt her whole body beginning to shake beyond her control as she lifted his heavy form out of the mud, the tears fighting to be released. _Give me the strength to overcome this... please..._

She had always hoped this day would never come...._  
_

* * *

**A/N**

Initially there was supposed to be A LOT more Raven/BB angst here, but I decided to ultimately cut it… it was just a little… TOO shippy, and really brought down the severity of Speedy's loss a bit (Yes, he is gone—DON'T KILL ME!) Anyways, read and review. I can't wait to write the next chapter, but I don't know how long it'll take…. XD Need the right amount of inspiration and reason to procrastinate everything else in my life.


	53. Titans Never Say Die

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 53: **Titans Never Say Die.

**Author's Note:**

I know. I know I know I know. I haven't been around much. I've been trying to iron out the remaining details of this story - that's right, the story does eventually end - and also... sigh... dealing with computer issues (what the heck is new?). Also, upheaval as I basically drop out of college and move back in with my mother... sigh...

In happier news - here's a chapter! I'll admit, I've had this chapter written for a long time... but it was long and I didn't have an ending to it and I felt like it didn't flow right... but now I'm just like "Screw it, let's just advance the story shall we?" (It's still good, I'm just a nitpicker perfectionist)

In really awesome cool news - at Phoenix Comicon, I met the voice of Aqualad - Wil Wheaton.

Oh, I also, um, got to play Rock Band with Wil Wheaton. I made him play Bon Jovi. He did so awesome, he posted it on his blog. (I was the drummer). He high fived me too.

Oh, did I mention, I totally made Wil Wheaton geek out over a present I gave him? It was some sour cream for his Radio Free Burrito. He was awed and speechless.

Oh, also, I got to dance next to Wil Wheaton at prom. Geek prom. I wore a Joker cape. He totally bumped into me, on several occasions. It was awesome.

Oh, did you know? I got to sign a picture I drew of Wil Wheaton playing Rock Band, for Wil Wheaton. Yeah, that's right - I autographed something for him!

Oh yeah, and I also met Felicia Day. :3

You're jealous. I know you are.

On with the story!

* * *

"What kind of crazy person blows up a crazy house?"

Superman pressed a finger to the commlink that sat snugly in his ear, barely able to hear Green Arrow's voice over the roar of wind as he flew towards the orange glow beyond the city of Gotham. "Oh, I could think of a few…" he murmured back with little humor, squinting as he began his descent into the barreling torrent of smoke and ashes, Green Lantern fast on his heels.

What had once been Arkham Asylum was now a pile of rubble and a series of deep holes where explosions had broken into the deep caverns beneath the asylum. Superman dove down, ignoring the smoke that threatened to choke him, slowing to a hover just yards above the scene. He focused his superhuman vision, sweeping his gaze back and forth over the wreckage, gazing through the rocks and shambles with x-ray clarity…. Maybe there was some clue as to what had happened here…. After all, this asylum had been abandoned months ago… so who…

Something caught his attention, and his eyes snapped back, retracing their path. It took a moment for his mind to register what he was seeing, but when it did, his heart froze in his chest.

"No…" he whispered, shooting forward with thoughtless abandon. He grabbed a huge chunk of rock, tossing it haphazardly aside as though it were made of styrofoam. He followed with huge pieces of rebar, drywall, wooden beams…

"What the—what is it?" Green Lantern hollered over the roar of flames, dodging the wayward debris as Superman tossed it.

The Man of Steel lifted away one last bit of wood, and GL hovered over him, gasping loudly at what he was seeing.

"Oh God, no…" his rumbled softly in his deep timbre, green eyes wide as planets as he landed carefully beside Superman, who gently lifted the limp small form of a child into his arms.

The very feel of the young boy's lifeless, unmoving body in Superman's arms was nearly more than the Kryptonian could handle. It was immediately clear that the boy had long been beyond saving, his skin cold, blood splattered on his clothes, on his white face. Tiny eyes wide open, gazing into nothing…

"Th-that's one of the missing kids, isn't it…?" John spoke up in a soft, horrified tone, eyes still wide as he glanced from the young child up to the other hero. "Clark… please don't tell me…."

"…they… were all caught in the explosion…" Superman mumbled darkly, his arms protectively holding the child as he glanced around, his x-ray power sifting through the wreckage. His stomach tangled with icy disgust and despair at what he could see and John could not.

"…We're too late…."

* * *

It was like a nightmare. That was all it could be. There was no way any of this had ever actually happened…

But the ache and weakness that resonated through his entire being, the inescapable sorrow and terror that clenched his lungs tight, and the haunting visions clouding his already hazy mind… it was all too strong, too crushingly overwhelming to have been imagined…

His head rested against the thick safety straps that braced him against his cockpit chair, his eyes staring into a strange, blurry darkness that was speckled with lights he knew to be the console before him. He felt so tired…. He had never felt so truly exhausted in his whole life, like his very spirit was begging for sleep.

And he tried… lord knows he tried to get some sleep… to not just recover some strength, but also for some relief from the pain of reality. He wanted to, even for a short while, forget all that'd happened and fall into that peaceful world of slumber… but he just couldn't. He just couldn't. The moment the terrible memories would begin to quiet inside his mind, the moment he felt that familiar heaviness of rest tugging on him, there would be some bump of turbulence or a banking turn of the plane that would jar him painfully out of sleep, jumpstarting his heart into a blinding race as terror seized his overworking lungs. As exhausted and weak as he was, every part of him was terrified, absolutely frightened that in trying to sleep, he might accidentally slip beyond the normal darkness of unconsciousness and end up in the eternity of nonexistence….

After all… he'd gotten so close… He doubted there was any way he could get any closer to death than that, and not actually die…

A lump in his throat refused to be swallowed away as he turned his head, as best as he could without lifting it, to glance out past the glass of his cockpit. He could barely see the outline of the next cockpit, where he knew Raven to be. He had been half-conscious enough to see Bumblebee place her unconscious form in there. She'd collapsed, her energy completely gone. It was no surprise, after everything… saving him… saving all of them… it was surprising Raven was even still alive…

…at least, he hoped she still was….

He swallowed hard, his eyes closing, tears threatening him as he gripped his restraints.

All he could see, when he closed his eyes… was that look…. on Robin's face… the look on his face when one of his best friends lay dead at his feet… Speedy's death was horrible, but it did nothing to his heart compared to the overwhelming knowledge that Robin had actually been the one to...

….but it couldn't have... could it...? ...how could that have been Robin….? How could he ever have….?

A sob broke out from his weakened lungs, his whole body shaking a little as he clenched his eyes tightly closed once more.

This wasn't happening.

If only he could wake up from this….

* * *

The tension in the hospital wing had grown too unbearable, the silence and the frustration of not knowing becoming so severe, Aqualad simply couldn't just sit still any longer. He excused himself from the room, choosing instead to wander aimlessly around the East Tower, the communicator held tightly in his fist as he journeyed, as though he was afraid it would explode if his grip weakened around it. His footsteps echoed shallowly in the hallways that he passed through, slipping by doors and alcoves without glancing towards them, his eyebrows always furrowed towards the floor before him. His feet just kept him moving, kept him occupied, a little bit. His mind still felt troubled, uneasy, like a death row inmate waiting for the end.

It wasn't long before he absentmindedly found himself in the massive great room at the heart of the Tower. He stared longingly at the pool before him, wanting nothing more to plunge into it and swim away forever… wait, swim away? Forever? Why? he asked himself darkly. It was all so irrational. There was no reason for him to feel like this, to want to run and hide. So anti-heroic. They'll be fine, he tried to reassure himself. They're heroes and they can handle themselves….

He glanced up at the command center setup before him, a huge blank screen surrounded by various other smaller monitors displaying news headlines, silenced police scanners, various radio and digital frequencies… all keeping track of the city that they protected, to alert them the very second trouble occurred…

If only their reach expanded beyond Steel City...

An idea struck him, and he gracefully moved to the seat directly before the huge computer system. He pulled the keyboard toward himself, his dark fingers flowing like waves over the keys as he typed in commands. He could see their locations, he realized. Their communicators. He could lock on their placement through satellite, watch from above, see what's happening….

The computer flashed, a computer-generated world spinning quickly into view, zooming in, pixilated lines of latitude flashing by as the simulated camera came to a steady halt over an enormous splatter of light, like a drop of paint on a dark canvas. It zoomed, the lights taking over the screen, and then dispersing, becoming individual dots of yellow and white and red.

And then, it locked on the blinking blue light of Bumblebee's locator signal.

Aqualad's mouth parted a little in a mixture of astonishment and confusion. Where he knew Arkham to be on the map… and even Gotham as a whole… was not where her communicator signal was. Instead, it was moving, at a steady pace, just beyond the outskirts of the city, where there were still many lights, but not in such density.

And the others' locators were bunched up next to hers.

They were… on the move? In the ship?

Why hadn't she contacted him?

His hand snapped out and fumbled for the communication channel, stumbling through a couple frequencies before settling on the one he wanted and speaking towards the microphone built into the display.

"Tower East to Blue Leader, Tower East to Blue Leader. Do you guys copy?" he said in his default voice of heroic authority that he was so used to using.

There was an unusually long lag… for a moment, Aqualad's mind jumped to the worst scenario – someone had kidnapped them all, hijacked their ship, and—

"Hey, Aqualad," a voice spoke up, the screen before him suddenly flickering to life.

"Bumblebee," Aqualad acknowledged with his eyebrows lifting up in attention. He quickly noted the burns and cuts on her face and frowned. "So… how'd it go?" he deadpanned, pretty much certain it hadn't gone well.

"Yes," piped up another voice suddenly, and Aqualad glanced quickly over his shoulder to see Starfire coming out from the shadows behind him. Had she always been there? She looked up at Bumblebee with a hopeful glint in her eye. "Please, were you able to save Robin?"

Bumblebee slowly shook her head, looking away from the camera with a gloomy expression. "No..." Starfire's hope was noticeably extinguished by the news, her eyebrows furrowing and her shoulders falling. Bee took a breath and looked back at them, continuing on with that deep, flowing current of a voice, looking determined. "Not this time… but… but I promise you, Starfire. We will next time…"

Warning bells had begun chiming in Aqualad's head the moment she had started talking. Something was off about Bumblebee's demeanor – way off. The way she spoke to them, the sound of her voice, how she had looked away from them while she had spoken…. How she now looked away from them again…. Even that spark of rage that defined every expression was gone from her eyes when he could see them.

Something was wrong… very wrong…

"Bumblebee," he spoke sternly as he rose from his chair, leaning against the control panel as his dark orbs stared up at her with sharp intensity. "What happened?" It was more of a statement than a question… a demand that she explain the situation, rather than a matter of mere curiosity.

She flinched away at his question, as though it had slapped her across the face. It was definitely not the question she had wanted to be asked, and it was suddenly the question he was unsure he wanted answered.

"Bee...?" he asked carefully, his voice losing all its edge and might, seeming quiet, weak... vulnerable in his own ears.

Bumbleebee kept her gaze from the camera for a long moment, her chest heaving a little, her gaze glancing around as though searching her surroundings for the right words to say. Aqualad grew increasingly more concerned with each passing nanosecond, his nerves rattled by her inability to talk... when had Bumblebee ever been lost for words...?

Something has gone wrong... something has gone so wrong...

His knuckles had begun to pound painfully with blood, he was gripping onto the console so tightly. He was vaguely aware of Starfire staring at him. Just when patience had reached its limit (it had only taken a few seconds to do so), and Aqualad was just about to ask Bumblebee again, the Titans leader suddenly drew herself up with a long, deep breath, sitting up as straight and strong as she could. She looked out at them with a firm set face, commitment now made to do her job as hero and report to her team.

But there was still the slightest hesitation as she blinked a few too many times and licked her lips to give her a moment before speaking, which Aqualad picked up immediately.

"It's Speedy..." she finally said. "He... he didn't make it."

...he was sure his face had changed at those words, that his expression had probably shifted from lingering frustration and growing concern to something entirely different… but he honestly would never remember for sure. He just found himself staring up at the screen, at Bumblebee, at the way her head suddenly turned away, and then vanished into static as she cut the connection. He could only gape, his eyes frozen to the spot where Bumblebee's nose had been.

He had heard wrong… or had understood wrong… because there was no way… no possible, earthly way…

"'Didn't make it?'" Starfire's repeated, her voice laced with confusion, as though she didn't understand the way the syntax of the sentence was structured. Those green eyes were piercing through his temple again. "What did she mean?"

Aqualad had noticed his grip had eased on the console a bit, his knuckles no longer protesting at him. Instead, he found himself leaning against the counter by the pads of his palms, all his weight upon them, his shoulders hunching with his eyes wide as discs as his brain struggled to make sense of it. Something told him he should be feeling something, anything… but he didn't. He couldn't feel anything anymore…

Didn't make it… He had heard that expression before, hadn't he? It was supposed to mean that someone didn't make it through an experience alive, right? …but that just couldn't be right. Not at all. Not him. Not his best friend.

He couldn't believe it… he wouldn't… No… there was no way Speedy had... Of course he hadn't. After all, he had promised… he had said so…

Just as his mind settled on it, had allowed him the pleasure of denial, of being able to avoid feeling anything until he absolutely had to, until he had to fully confront the situation… a small voice appeared from the silence.

"…S-Senor Speedy…?"

Aqualad's breath froze painfully in his chest. He turned around slowly, glancing over his shoulder with wide, horrified eyes. Standing behind him, on the other side of the pool, stood little Menos.

And that whole blanket of emptiness, of disbelief, of denial, shattered brilliantly, like a stained-glass window of a sanctuary after the mortar falls.

"Menos…" he whispered as he saw the knowing, despairing look leap into the young Guatemalan's eyes. Somehow, seeing this hurt far more to Aqualad than seeing the same pain in Bumblebee's face – way, way more.

Mas and Menos… the twins, they were only twelve… the three older Titans had always been well aware of just how young they were, and had always made sure never to give the speedster boys anything above their heads, anything too far beyond what their level of maturity would allow them. Thieves, drug dealers and your garden variety supervillians? Those they could deal with. But prostitution, sex crimes, murder… no twelve-year-old should ever have to experience any of that first-hand…

…and now this…

… this wasn't just a homicide on the street, with some nameless body…

…this was Speedy…

Before Aqualad knew what was going on, Menos had turned and hurried from the room at a normal child's pace, his speed hindered without his brother. As the boy rounded the corner, sounds of sorrow trailing after him, Aqualad found himself sinking rapidly to the ground, landing on his tailbone with his feet sprawled awkwardly before him, looking and feeling like a marionette which had just lost its strings. His face was still frozen in a blank stare of horror and disbelief, but his insides no longer felt so serenely devoid of emotion as it had before…

Speedy… he was truly… honestly…?

But no… it can't be… Aqualad told those thoughts. His face scrunched up a little, the excruciating anguish that had ripped open in his gut spreading upward and beginning to show in his face. He clenched his eyes shut, clenched his fingers into fists, as though trying to draw into himself and attack those thoughts head on. It just can't be. He promised…

"A-Aqualad…?"

"Please. Don't say anything," he blurted out in a dark, flat voice. His forehead crinkled uncomfortably as he squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could, as though still trying to retreat completely into himself and close up the chasm that had appeared inside him… stitch it closed and return to emptiness… If Starfire said anything, tried to console him... it would only make it more real… open the chasm more… consume him…. A shaking hand pressed against his cold face.

This wasn't happening…. It's not happening….

Speedy….

...you promised...

* * *

"Like tha—no no no, carefu-you're not putting that in the right hole!"

"That's what she said."

"KID FLASH! I SWEAR TO GOD-!"

The redheaded teenager shot Cyborg a smug grin as he sat back in his chair, a foot resting on his knee as he folded his arms behind his head, stretching out his torso with a groan. He was so glad to already be back on his feet, metaphorically speaking, since he was in fact sitting. Superspeed had many advantages, and considering his line of work, quick healing was probably one of the best.

He sat forward impatiently, resting his elbows on his knees as he glanced around him. They were currently hiding in the garage of a nearby fire station, the firefighters offering them kind refuge from the chattering crowds, flashing cameras and the annoying reporters that all swarmed on them after they were finally discovered on that beach. The city was in an uproar – it was one thing to have an abandoned bank building explode, quite another to have the home and the symbol of justice crumble in the bay where everyone could see it. That, and the fact that Cyborg was the only recognizable Titan out of them, and his right arm was pretty much destroyed.

The cybernetic teen continued to scowl at the speedster, clearly annoyed that anyone could crack jokes at a time like this. One of the firemen, a young, thin twenty-something who proclaimed to know a thing or two about electronics, bit his tongue as he tried to fix Cyborg's malfunctioning circuits, following the Titan's every order. Cyborg's arm was irreparable until he could get a full replacement; with the Tower gone along with everything in it, it wasn't clear how long that would take.

Meanwhile, the other two Titans were sitting silent, focusing on keeping their cool as their own injuries were taken care of. A kind butch-looking firewoman was carefully dressing Jinx's burns, which meant that Jinx was showing more skin than usual (which didn't mean much, considering how much of her body she covered up, but still enough to make Kid Flash blush a little and try not to look at her). Next to Kid Flash, an older paramedic with balding hair and a stocky figure was at work setting the broken bones in Herald's arm. Again and again, the middle-aged man kept frowning and saying that Herald really should go to the hospital, but the Titan always declined in a low voice. The civilians didn't seem to understand why, but all the Titans, or really any superhero, did. Hospitals were bad news to superheroes – too many people with too much access to things that could blow their cover. Blood tests could lead to DNA tests, an invitation to change into a hospital gown could also be a reason for demasking. Too many people, too many opportunities to be found out. No, hospitals were only sought out in the most dire of circumstances. A few broken bones or a burn did not constitute "most dire."

Jinx winced, but kept her attention on her communicator, which was held tightly in her slender pointed fingers. "Looks like some more backup is on its way," she announced. "That Argent chick is apparently up in one of the northern states and can probably be here by morning, and someone named, uh, Tramm, responded and said he would be here in about an hour."

"Good," Cyborg said, but if his mood was lightened at all by the news, it didn't show in his face. He stared intensely at the side of one of the red fire engines. "Tramm'll be able to help us salvage anything that may have made it through the attack… could probably help me fix my arm…"

At that moment, a strange warbling buzzing sound appeared, causing Kid Flash to actually jump in his chair a little at the suddenness. "What the-?"

"It's my communicator—here, Jack, help me out here," Cyborg said to the firefighter, who looked at him with overwhelming awe as Cyborg waved his good arm, showing the staticky screen that announced an incoming call. The firefighter reached over one of Cyborg's large shoulders, and tapped the screen, which instantly fizzled and went black with a puff of smoke.

"DAMNIT! STUPID FRICKEN—here, just, just get this – it's still ringing, the screen just went out, could you—yeah, just pull that, yeah, right there, and just give it—give it to me!"

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" the young firefighter stammered, clearly pretty flustered by the whole situation. Kid Flash smirked. He knew it wasn't that the firefighter couldn't keep cool under pressure - far from it: he was a fricken fireman, afterall. No, it was that he was just a bumbling fanboy in the presence of Cyborg.

The bucket of bolts really had some big fans in this city... all of the resident Titans did...

Cyborg fumbled with the little device the firefighter placed in his hand, quickly turning it and bringing it awkwardly around to his human ear, setting it in place. "Yeah?" he said unceremoniously into the Bluetooth microphone, a noticeable look of relief crossing his face as a voice responded at the other end – probably relief that something was functioning more than hearing another voice, Kid Flash thought.

"Starfire, hey. What's up? …You did? Well… communications at the Tower are kinda down right now… yeah, Slade gave us a little visit…" He looked up, to see that everyone in the room now watched his conversation with rapt attention. Kid Flash sucked on his lip a little, wondering why Cyborg wasn't telling Starfire outright that the Tower was destroyed… Oh yeah, he remembered now… she had a pet, right? His heart sank a little, feeling guilty and sad for her. There was no way anything could've survived that…

Cyborg had focused his attention back on Starfire. "Anyways, don't worry about us, what's going on on your end? Have you heard anything from the rest of the team? I mean, it's been a couple of…"

His voice tapered off as her voice twittered in his ear. After a moment, his face suddenly shifted from attentiveness to wide-eyed rage, and he leapt to his feet.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DIDN'T SAVE ROBIN?"

Everyone jumped a little at his sudden outburst, the firefighters glancing at one another. Cyborg's eyes shot toward them, his face mortified, as he realized he'd just blurted out something the tabloids and newspapers would just love to hear…

As quickly as his face had shifted before, it shifted again, his eyes focusing on empty air as he dropped his tone and fell back into the conversation. He glanced around at the firefighters, then made his way away from them, limping a little as he sought refuge behind the firetruck. From where they were, the firefighters and Titans could only hear slight mumblings.

"Um..." Kid Flash began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the firefighters, trying to keep their attention away from any bit of Cyborg's voice that might carry over to them. "So... you guys are firefighters, huh? How's that goin for ya?"

The firefighters looked between one another, a little taken aback by the sudden interest in them, but no sooner had the woman firefighter opened her mouth to speak first, the alarm went off with a terrible shrill.

They were fast at action, jumping to their feet, the oldest of the three running to the nearby phone to get instructions. A couple more firefighters appeared from around the corner, snatching up jackets, boots and hats while shooting inquisitive looks at the battered Titans.

"You know," Herald mumbled, holding his newly-slung arm and leaning forward, his deep eyes flashing at the two other Titans. "Those guys are greater than all of us..."

"They put their lives on the line without powers, without much..." Kid Flash agreed, uncharacteristically somber as he watched them hastily prepare one of the firetrucks to ship out. "They don't get the recognition we do, and they do just as much. With little compensation, too. No millionaire playboys shelling out money for them..."

Jinx nodded slowly, lost in thought.

The fire engine's wail pierced the air, deafening all of them with a terrible shriek. The red engine roared to life and barreled out of the opening garage door. The Titans watched after with silent stillness.

Kid Flash glanced over his shoulder, and saw Cyborg standing in the far corner, suddenly in view in the absence of the engine.

He didn't appear to be on the phone anymore.

Wally leapt to his feet and shot to Cyborg's side. "So what's the scoop, Sparks. What happened with..."

His voice trailed off as his eyes took in Cyborg expression. The human-half of the cybernetic teen's face was a ghostly ashen color, his eyes gazing to the floor with stiff silence. Kid Flash swallowed, knowing right away that it was very serious. "What is it?"

Cyborg shook his head dumbly, not looking at the young Flash.

"I... never thought the day would come... I-I knew it would... we all knew the risks... but I..."

"What day?" Jinx spoke up as she and Herald made their way over to them.

"What risks...?" Herald murmured in his soft voice.

Kid Flash blinked. A day none of them would have wanted... risks they all took... The dots connected blindingly fast inside his head, and his lungs sucked in a harsh breath of air as he understood.

"Who died?" he hissed in complete seriousness, the words heaving out with all the air in his chest. The other two looked at him in horror, and then back at Cyborg.

Cyborg's eyes met Kid Flash's, a surge of grief radiating through the connection and overwhelming Kid Flash so much he had to look away. The entire room felt way too small all of a sudden, and it was as though his very use of the word "died" had sucked any color and warmth from the world.

"Who was it?" Herald murmured darkly, glaring at an oil stain on the floor. Next to him, Jinx had gone the purest shade of white, her hair standing out more brilliantly than ever as her fluorescent purple gaze fixated on Cyborg.

Kid Flash held his breath. In his mind, a young 10-year-old version of Robin stood beside him, annoyed but actually having trouble not grinning as two dripping wet mentor superheroes loomed over them, victims of the speedster's latest prank. The young Boy Wonder tried to say something to him, but the moment his mouth opened, the memory began to slip out of focus, staining red, falling away.

Was it him... were they too late...?

Cyborg shook his head, half in disbelief, half as if he had heard Kid Flash's thoughts.

"We lost Speedy..." he whispered in a dark tone. He fell back against the wall and bowed his head as the others all took in the news - Jinx pressing a hand to her mouth, Herald staring dumbly into nothing, Kid Flash shaking his head incredulously. Cyborg just stared at the floor. "We lost Speedy..." he repeated to himself as though he thought he'd said it wrong. He clenched his eyes tight.

"We... we lost a Teen Titan..."

* * *

**A/N**

Now, just cuz I have a feeling someone will nitpick it, Cyborg says he "never thought this day would come" when in essence it kinda has: Terra basically died at the end of season 02. But with Terra, there had been a chance that the effects could be reversed, and really in the space of time this story takes place (after season 05, completely disregarding the existence of Trouble in Tokyo), she HAD walked away from her stony fate, so yup. No actual Titans had actually died by the time this story took place. So there.

Anyways, can haz reviews, plzkthxbai?

Also, don't get excited and expect lots of new updates in a short span of time... cuz the summer plan is to, um, completely go back through this story and finetune it before I get too terribly far... it's all Batman's fault. I've found him. I know what he's been doing. But now I have to alter the story slightly to allow for it. Don't worry, you wont have to re-read it. XD


	54. in Peace and in Pieces

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 54: **...in Peace.

**Author's Note:**

Hey, notice how alot of the time, when I say I will update more often, I don't, and then when I say I wont update very often, I do? XD Don't rely on that TOO much, but it worked this time around, di'n't it?

It's mostly because I've been looking forward to writing this chapter and the next for a loooong time. xD I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The chaos that surrounded them should have been something they were used to. The smell of burning wreckage, the blinding and incessant flashing of emergency vehicle lights, the heaviness that always seemed to accompany tragedy and death…. It was all things they knew so well, had experienced hundreds of times over their lives. They'd seen cities fall, men die… But this… this was different, somehow, and the Justice League was just as shaken and dazed by the terrible events as anyone, even if they were a little better at hiding it. Perhaps it was the fact that these were only children… or maybe it was the occasional scream of anguish as a parent recognized the body of their child, sometimes without even having to pull the sheet away from their faces to know it was theirs. It tore their hearts apart every single time, making even the Man of Steel noticeably shaken as he helped rescue teams pull more and more lifeless little figures from the depths of the demolished asylum.

Green Arrow stood numbly at the sidelines, frozen with his mind washed blank as he watched a mother and father fall, shaking and crying, to the grassy ground beside the lifeless body of their daughter, who had just been pulled cold from the fallen building. Ollie swallowed the brick-sized lump that formed in his throat as he took in the sight, as he saw their spirits visibly shatter under the weight of their loss, their bodies folding, the mother's face pressing to her hands as she wailed, the father clutching her, staring out into nothing with his face shuddering in tears.

He recognized them… these were the parents he had seen just days ago in the police station, the ones he had vowed a silent promise to… A promise that was now broken….

A rush of anger surged through his veins, and he turned and kicked a large rock that had once comprised the outer wall of the massive building. It hurt his toe, and it only managed to skip a yard or two, but he didn't care. It took everything not to scream, himself. How could anyone pull this kind of shit? On helpless children?

"I know how you feel…"

Ollie looked up to see Superman standing beside him now. The ol' boy scout's face looked older than Green Arrow had ever seen it, his lips frowning, creating creases in his cheeks and around his eyes. He looked tired. The invincible man… tired…? It only seemed to make the whole scene that much more surreal.

"If I had your powers, I probably wouldn't be able to keep my heat vision back, I'm so disgusted and furious by all this… who the hell murders children like this?"

Plenty of people, Ollie… his own thoughts answered for him, causing his empty stomach to twist painfully. This world is just full of horribly sick people…

"It wasn't the explosion that killed them, either..." Superman murmured darkly, his eyebrows folding in a dirty glare, staring out into the craggy remains of the asylum. "There are bullet wounds… they've been dead for days."

Green Arrow stared numbly up at the Kryptonian hero a long moment, disbelief sweeping over him before he grumbled and snapped his head away in disgust. A silence folded around them, and Ollie crossed his arms.

Another shout made him look up to see a rescue worker pull another blood-stained little girl from the wreckage. Ollie swallowed as he noticed the tattered cape that clung to her neck. "You recognize their little Halloween costumes?"

"Yeah, I noticed that…" Superman glanced over at Green Arrow. "The Teen Titans."

"All of the original team, except Robin," Ollie pointed out, glancing at the other young victims that had not been covered yet. "He's definitely involved in this somehow. Being the Bat's ex-sidekick, I suppose it's not all that surprising that someone from Gotham would be out to get to him."

"We should contact Titans West, see what they—"

"Actually, sounds like we should be contacting Titans East," spoke up another voice, and the two heroes turned to see Green Lantern landing just beside them. He held his usual stern glare, his face showing little emotion. His voice was dark as he continued, holding out his arm. "That is, unless you've decided to change the color of your arrows on us."

Green Arrow was unable to hide his surprise as Lantern held out a familiar yellow arrow. It's design was similar to his own green arrows, with a special pellet-like tip instead of the typical point. Ollie snapped it out of John's hand and inspected it closer. It was dented, the feathers of the tail tattered badly, but there was no mistaking the S-shaped insignia on its crushed tip.

"It's not the only one – there are a bunch more."

Speedy, you little son of a bitch... Green Arrow couldn't help but think, his face bearing a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. He glanced up at the smoking wreckage of the asylum.

It'd been a long time since their paths had disconnected; they hadn't even spoken to each other since, but he knew Roy, and it looked like the kid was as reckless and stupid of a child as he'd always been. His eyes narrowed and his face remained stony as he looked over the destroyed asylum.

"He's not in there, if you were wondering," Superman spoke up, reading something invisible in Ollie's face.

"Well, I wasn't!" His voice came out a little quicker and more defensively than he'd meant. He scowled at the ruins of the old asylum bitterly. "That stupid kid and his stupid team. They probably helped make this happen," he jutted a thumb towards the smoking mess to clarify, "rather than leaving it to us more qualified types…"

"Well, let's contact them and see their side of the story," Superman said. Ollie grumbled incoherently to himself in response. The old boy scout… Ollie never really understood why Superman not only let the Titans keep running their little club, but also seemed to support it. Having teenaged heroes playing sidekick to adult heroes like Batman and himself was one thing… at least someone older was there to teach them and save their butts when they screw up. But letting them be vigilantes in their own towns by themselves? It was so stupid. What 16-year-old could handle the kind of problems the world has? He didn't care how many of them there were… and the East team even had a pair of twelve-year-olds working for them. Twelve-year-olds! That was barely older than some of the kids now lying dead before them.

Before Ollie could voice his thoughts Superman was already on his communicator with J'onn. Superman's voice buzzed in Green Arrow's own earpiece, with just the tiniest lag between what left Superman's voice box and what came out his communicator, creating a weird echo that made his head throb a little.

"J'onn, see if you can patch me through to the Teen Titans East. We need to talk to them about what's happened in Gotham."

"Give me a moment," J'onn's deep, steady voice replied, watered down by radio static. Ollie's arms rested at his sides, one of his hands absentmindedly fidgeting with the damaged arrow as he stared back out at the smoking carcass of Arkham Asylum. The others glanced at him carefully, but didn't say anything.

At least a solid minute passed before J'onn spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, Superman, but we can't seem to get through to them."

"What?" Ollie spoke up first, a hand snapping to his commlink. "Why not?"

"I can't tell if it's on our end or their end, but there seems to be a kind of firewall preventing us access. I tried Titans West, as well, still without luck. We will try to break through."

"Psh... don't bother," Green Arrow snapped in annoyance. "They probably put the firewall up to keep us from raining on their parade. We'll just go pay them a visit instead."

"What?" Superman and Green Lantern spoke up in baffled unison, looking at the blond archer with flashing eyes.

"Steel City is only an hour's flight away. John, you could give me a lift over there and not only will we be able to find out a few things, but then I can finally give that ol' sidekick of mine a good swift kick in the—"

"Going to the Titans will probably be the best idea," J'onn interrupted. "I just found a report that their West tower was destroyed last night. That would probably explain the communication problem, if that tower held their main communication hub."

"It was destroyed?" G.L. asked, a hand to his own ear, his eyes wide with disbelief. "And they didn't contact us for help?"

"Now, why would they do that?" Green Arrow growled in exasperation. "When have they ever turned to us for help? They nearly let Brotherhood of Evil destroy all of them and still they—"

"Eyewitness reports state they survived," J'onn interrupted again. "If they want our help, they know how to contact us."

"Well, let's go and get some straight answers!" Ollie's voice was stern and commanding as he glanced over at John. "There's nothing more we can do here now. Seems like they may know more about what's going on here than we do." He gestured with Speedy's arrow to accentuate his point.

"You probably should stay here. It would be easier for me to fly alone," John spoke up.

"Not a chance. Speedy is still ward to my estate. If he's running around trying to get himself killed, then I want to be there to shout at him about it. I would just hop on an airplane, except it'd take me hours to get through airport security... considering." He thrust a finger behind him, indicating his huge arsenal of dangerous projectiles. Definitely not FAA approved.

"You're not going to give up on this, are you?"

"Have you ever known me to be stubborn?"

"I take that as a no."

"Look," Superman spoke up, rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. "Just go on and get the answers. I'll take care of things here. Let us know what you find out, okay?"

"Fine," John grumbled. Without another word, he raised his fist and summoned the power of his ring, creating a large green orb around Green Arrow. Before the other hero could even brace himself, G.L. took off into the sky, towing the big giant orb behind him.

"Hey!" Ollie shouted, losing his balance and landing hard on his tailbone upon the floor of the giant glowing green hamster ball. "You know, couldn't you magic me up a chair or a sexy stewardess or something?"

"I could drop you right here," John hollered back in reply, glancing down at the bay they were flying over. Ollie knew he was bluffing, but his stomach still lurched at the thought of falling even ten feet at this altitude.

"Alright alright, I get it!" He rolled and positioned himself cross-legged on the floor, grumbling to himself. He crossed his arms and hunched his shoulders, brooding a little as silence and boredom quickly began to take their toll on him - he was not one to sit still. He picked a piece of lint off his shirt, when his eyes trailed away, past his knees, down through the green shell that kept him from falling.

Below shone the brilliant spiderwebs of light that made up Gotham and its suburbs. The crosshatched patterns of dazzling white swept by beneath him silently. It was almost mesmerizing to watch, almost beautiful... almost peaceful... After a long moment watching in awe, he tore his eyes away and glanced up at the stars above them. At this height, the light of the city didn't drown them out anymore, and they shone brilliantly.

It was hard to say which sight was more beautiful. Although, to be honest, it was hard to call either of them beautiful, knowing what they stood for... the tangled web of Gotham, of its crime, its murder, its filth... and the stars above... Once believed to house Gods and heaven, the burning stars were surrounded by galactic wars, alien beasts, and cold emptiness.

Suppose my definition of beauty is that of peace... he thought dimly, glancing down somberly at the arrow in his hand. If that's the case, then I don't suppose there is true peace anywhere...

He sighed and mentally shook himself. Enough of that glass-half-empty crap. He looked out ahead of him, towards the moon that hung low in the southeastern sky, half obscured by clouds. He allowed a quick smirk, and crossed his arms, and began to brainstorm in his head different annoying, demeaning greetings that would really irk Roy when he finally saw him, if only to distract himself from the nervousness he pretended he didn't have.

It had been a long time...

* * *

In the aircraft bay of the Titans East Tower, Aqualad and Starfire stood in tense, solemn silence. Separating them was a steel gurney, draped in a stark white sheet. Neither looked at it, as though trying to actively ignore their presence by keeping their attention focused on the giant door of the room. But like a vengeful ghost, they knew it was there.

Both their postures immediately tightened as the hydraulics to the doors kicked into gear, signaling the approach of the Titans East's blue airship. Starfire stole a quick glance towards the Atlantean. While his blackened eyes and firmly set jaw revealed no emotion, his unbandaged arm drawn up into a tight, shaking fist at his side betrayed just how hard he was fighting to remain strong. Star blinked a few times, her eyelids like sandpaper against her corneas. She knew if their roles were reversed, she would not have been able to stay as calm and focused as Aqualad was now.

She nearly doubled over when she reminded herself that Robin was still in danger, and could just as easily return home like this...

The massive bunker doors widened to their full extent just as the blue jet came flying through. It banked and slowed to a hovering halt, pressurized air surging through valves, filling the room and causing both the Titans' long hair to whip haphazardly in every direction. Starfire sputtered as some of her heat-scarred hair got caught in her eyes and mouth, but Aqualad barely blinked, his attention fully focused on the plane, and the task at hand.

The moment the landing gear touched the metal floor, and the full weight of the jet was grabbed by gravity, Aqualad moved forward, a hand snapping out to grab the gurney and pull it with him.

The engines mighty roar descended into a sickly wheeze as Bumblebee cut the ignition and opened the hatch on her cockpit. She unbuckled and stood, leaning her singed arms against the hull of the ship and looking over them, her face steely and dark.

"Where are the twins?" she asked dully.

"In the hospital wing," Aqualad replied in a stiff, deadpanned tone. "I told them if they stepped a foot out, they would be grounded from video games for a month."

Bumblebee's lip twitched, as close to a smile as she could ever get now. She never ceased to be amazed at how young kids could be so easily persuaded just by threatening to cut out their gaming time.

But in all reality, the twins had long already broken their vow. They peered through the grates of one of the rooms air conditioning vents, each holding the others' mouth to keep themselves silent. If they were caught, they would lose their video games. Any other time, any other day, they would have been caught immediately - it had always been so hard to keep from giggling when they used these vents to spy on the others.

But today, there was nothing to giggle about.

The two of them winced in pain, and Mas glanced over at Menos, who rubbed one of his casted legs absentmindedly. He looked up at Mas' silent questioning look, and shook his head. No, he did not want to leave. He didn't care that his legs hurt being crowded into this small vent.

They both had to know for certain... they had to see him for themselves...

Maybe it wasn't too late to do something...

"You two help Beast Boy and Raven," Bumblebee continued sternly, gesturing towards the pods to her left. "They're both really weak..." She heaved herself onto the hull of the ship, her wings revealed to be bent and damaged. She stood, and nearly slipped off the hull of the ship, but quickly leapt to the right wing, kneeling over the glass canopy, feeling for the manual release.

Starfire sprang into action, flying up to aid her companions. Aqualad, on the other hand, ignored Bumblebee's orders. He made his way to beside her end of the ship, a hand snapping out to grab a torrent of water from the drains in the floor. The water rushed like a river through the air, crashing to the floor around him and propelling him up like a geyser to the cockpit she stood over. She triggered the mechanism, and the glass shot backwards, fully revealing the boy inside.

"¿Qué es? No puedo ver..." Mas hissed, straining his head to try and see better, but Aqualad was in the way. Menos muffled something against him, as he was crammed awkwardly into the corner. He shoved his brother away, and tried to see for himself.

They both paused in their struggle as they watched Aqualad suddenly hunch weakly over, bracing himself against the ship for support, the column of water that held him wavering as he nearly lost focus on it.

"Bee... I'm sorry... I-I should have been there..." Aqualad's quiet voice carried over to the vent they hid in. The two hispanic boys glanced at one another, eyes wide.

They had never heard his voice sound like that.

It must be really bad... they thought together. Mas felt his stomach turn painfully, and Menos grabbed his hand, squeezing it as they looked back out at the scene before them. Both of them felt like maybe they should leave, but stubbornly decided not to.

Since Bumblebee was unable to fly and Aqualad was unable to lift a teenager's full weight with his broken arm, they worked together to get Speedy out of the cockpit and down to the floor. The two twins peered with such intensity through the vent, they were afraid the others would feel it and they would get busted. Somehow, Speedy's face remained out of their line of sight as the two older teens carried him to the gurney. They laid him out gently, adjusting his stiff form and grabbing the sheet to cover him with.

Aqualad took a step away, and the two twins snapped their hands to each other's mouths to stifle their cries of horror.

Speedy... looked horrifying... his face looked deformed, stretched back in a terrible, excruciatingly wide smile. His eyes stared out into nothing, his skin the shade of the sheet beneath him. A little trickle of blood stained his mouth.

He looks like a clown... their linked minds thought in unison. They clutched each other, unable to breathe, unable to look away as Bumblebee began to drape the sheet over his frozen body. Aqualad snapped a hand up to stop her from covering up his face. His back was turned towards the twins, and though they couldn't see it, they knew there was a look of pain and anguish on his face as he leaned against the cart, shoulders rolled forward as he stared down at his fallen friend.

A long moment passed. Aqualad heaved a small sob, hanging his head.

"You'd said no one would die, Roy..." he murmured slowly, his voice shaking. He pressed a hand to his face, rubbing his eye and swiping away sweat and tears. He peered down on Speedy's grotesquely smiling face. He paused a moment, and then suddenly, he snapped, slamming a fist straight into Speedy's smiling face.

"_YOU LIED!_" he screeched in unchecked rage, slamming his casted hand down onto the archer's chest, a large crack sounding as he rebroke his own arm and snapped a few ribs in Speedy's expired chest. "Y_OU SAID NO ONE WOULD DIE IF I WASN'T THERE! YOU PROMISED, AND YOU FUCKING **LIED!**_"

"GARTH!" Bumblebee cried out in horror, stumbling as she hastily rounded the gurney and threw her arms around him to pull him back. "GARTH! STOP!"

The two twins only gaped in horror, tears now streaming down their faces as they watched Aqualad struggle against Bee's tight grip. Aqualad never swore. He never yelled, never cried, never lost his cool... they'd always thought nothing could faze him, nothing could rattle him... but now, he had completely lost it.

They somehow managed to keep watching, holding one another with silent tears as Aqualad's seething anger slowly retreated into pure grief. He bent double and fell to his knees with a sob, Bumblebee still holding him, but now as a hug rather than a restraint. Somehow, his reactions made it more real than even seeing Speedy's grinning dead face.

_He's... he really is dead..._

Menos looked over at Mas, and he looked back, and nodded with understanding. They had seen all they could take. Carefully, Mas helped his injured brother shimmy his way back down the length of the air vents, both of them trying not to cry, or at least not to be heard, because they still did not want to lose their video game privileges...

Starfire had paused helping Raven out of her cockpit, watching the scene unfolding with tears coming to her own eyes. Hanging onto her neck carefully, a small green pygmy marmoset pressed its face into her shoulder, tired and grief-stricken. Starfire shook her head in dismay. This just didn't seem... possible.

"Thank you..." she said in a very low voice to her two teammates, Raven groaning and peeking through weak eyelids as she gripped Starfire's arm. "Thank you both for returning to me safely..."

Raven glanced feebly up at her, and managed an incredibly small attempt at a reassuring smile. Beast Boy raised a small monkey hand and touched Starfire's cheek in his response. Starfire finally looked away from the grieving Titans East teammembers and hooked an arm under Raven's legs, struggling not to cry out with pain as she lifted the half-conscious girl and flew her down to solid ground.

She desperately wanted to know what exactly had happened, but helping her friends to health and safety was her first priority.

She hadn't even crossed half the room before a loud blaring sound made her freeze. They all looked around, the room flashing red in time with the alarm. Star recognized the sound immediately, the same one in their own Tower.

The proximity alarm.

"What the hell is it now!" Bumblebee snapped in anguished frustration, letting go of Aqualad and straightening up. The Atlantean released his grip on his dark hair, and lifted his head, his eyes following her with a lost, bewildered expression as she broke into a jog towards the room's computer linkup.

After typing in a few commands, she squinted at the feed from one of the cameras, and then leapt backwards with a yelp, like she had just been stung.

"What is it?" Starfire spoke up, looking over at Bumblebee over Raven's dark purple hair. A questioning trill leapt from Beast Boy's monkey throat, the weak Titan leaning towards Bumblebee with concern.

Bee's face had grown ashen, her eyes wide in horror. She shook her head with her mouth hung open in fear. Aqualad got to his feet and hurried over to her side, and he wavered as he took in the sight himself.

"You... can't be serious..." he croaked, his voice thick with a different strain of emotion.

"What?" Starfire asked more urgently, walking awkwardly towards them with Raven still in her arms. Beast Boy slipped from her shoulder and transformed back to human, his legs wobbling and giving out beneath him, causing him to reach out and grip onto Aqualad's good arm for support. He peeked through tired eyes, and gasped.

"That's... not... good..."

Starfire looked over their shoulders, and saw camera footage of two men in costumes standing on the tower's doorstep. One wore a basic unitard, and the other had a beard and a quiver full of arrows. Starfire frowned - neither of them looked familiar. "Um... who..."

"It's Green Arrow..." Beast Boy gasped with wide eyes, as Bumblebee took off in panic towards Speedy's gurney, to move it somewhere else - anywhere else.

"Okay, but who exactly..."

"It's Speedy's former partner..." Aqualad managed to say in strained voice. He glanced over at them through a curtain of dark bangs, his eyes flashing with something like fear. "...He's... like the Batman to his Robin... almost his father..."

"Do you think he knows?" Beast Boy questioned hastily in a tired rasp.

Aqualad just turned his head away, his eyes darting behind his curtain of hair in muddled, frantic thought. This was the last thing any of them could deal with right now... he gripped his throbbing arm absentmindedly, swallowing back the bile in his throat. It had all happened so quickly... so soon... the thought that they would have had to confront Green Arrow at all hadn't even hit him until now. Why couldn't they have had even another hour to prepare for this...?

"Hey, Titans! Speedy!" shouted a voice. Aqualad looked up to see Green Arrow's smirking face looming in the camera screen, a finger tapping on the lens and making it fall in and out of focus. He then stepped back and gestured towards Green Lantern, who had conjured up a big green ax that was chopping down the front door. "We hope you don't mind but we're letting ourselves in! We have some questions and we aren't leaving til we have answers."

His voice meant business, but it was too cheerful. They all looked at one another.

He didn't know.

"This day just keeps getting better and better..." Raven grumbled sardonically, her head still resting limp against Starfire's shoulder, eyes closed as though still unconscious. Everyone exchanged troubled glances.

This was not going to be easy.

* * *

**A/N**

And of course, that's where I leave you. xD


	55. Heroes and Sidekicks

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 55: **Heroes and Sidekicks.

**Author's Note:**

Holy frackin' Chris Griffin did I SERIOUSLY just update AGAIN? What the heck is up with that?

God, I'm totally blowing all your guys' expectations of me and stuff! Three updates in three days! You're all spoiled rotten, now! And now, when I don't update for two days or so, you're gonna be like "Chuh! What gives, man?" Oh, that's gonna be SO annoying...

Well, I dunno what it is. I guess I'm on a roll. I doubt ANY of you are complaining, especially considering last chapter seemed to be THE most hated cliffhanger of the entire story. Consider the cliff hung... or something like that.

I think this chapter will please many of you... most of you... all of you.

But don't start getting too comfortable... after all... *grins mischeviously* It's not over yet. Enjoy the performance...

* * *

Green Arrow raised Speedy's damaged arrow, like a prosecutor raising evidence in a court room.

"So," he said seriously, eyes narrowing behind his green mask. "Arkham Aslyum, Gotham, USA. Explosion wrecked it at about 8:32pm. The bodies of 32 kids were found inside. Ring any bells?"

There was a stir in their faces, wide-eyed looks of bewildered horror dancing between one another.

"Wait... what?"

"What kids? We didn't know about any..."

"...oh yeah..." Beast Boy spoke up sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "About that... meant to tell you guys that, um, Raven and I came across a room full of dead kids while we were there... but then things got heated and... never had a chance to say..."

"They were dead long before we got there..." Raven followed in an even, emotionless voice.

Bumblebee, Aqualad and Starfire all looked down at the two Titans in absolute horror, the two teens sitting cross-legged on the floor, too weak to stand. Beast Boy hunched his shoulders, feeling all their gazes, his face wracked with guilt. The Green Lantern and the Green Arrow stood before them with arms crossed, like parents ready to ground their kids. The archer took them all in with disgust. They were _all_ injured, in one form or another, and they weren't even all present. Especially Speedy. He frowned and crossed his arms. His guess was that Speedy was either badly injured, or simply avoiding him. Either case was incredibly annoying.

"What were you guys even doing there?" Lantern demanded with an air of disbelief, eyeing first Starfire's bandages then Aqualad's newly busted arm. "Isn't Gotham a little outside your turf?"

"Steel City is even outside some of your turf," Green Arrow added, looking at Beast Boy and Starfire. "A little far from home, aren't you?"

"We could say the same of you..." Aqualad murmured a little defensively, clutching onto his broken arm with a seething face. Bumblebee shot him a cold look, and he scowled, looking away.

"We were trying to find Robin," Bumblebee spoke up curtly, clenching her eyes shut with her head bowed, forcing her voice to remain steady. "He was kidnapped a few weeks ago, and our sources led us to Arkham."

Green Lantern's eyebrows jerked up a little in interest. "Robin was kidnapped...?" he asked. He stole a glance at Arrow, then returned his gaze steady on the teenagers. "If you knew Gotham criminals were behind it, you should have gotten in contact with us."

"Look, who was behind it, that's all we need to know," Green Arrow snapped quickly, narrowing his eyes, looking just as uncomfortable being there as the kids seemed having them there. "Just tell us and we'll get out of your hair."

Bumblebee lifted her chin with a deep glare. "It was the Joker."

G.L. looked much more interested now, more shocked than anything. He took a step forward. "Are you guys stupid or something? What did you think you were doing, going up against the Joker on your own?"

"We've dealt with criminals like him before," Aqualad bit back, but his fierce gaze wavered and looked away from them. "We thought we could handle him..."

"And obviously, you couldn't," Green Arrow finished for him bluntly, looking around at their injuries. He tightened his crossed arms and stuck his nose in the air. "I'm as much for vigilanteism as the next freak in a mask, but I am a firm believer in waiting until you're old enough to vote."

"Yeah, we get it," Bumblebee grumbled.

"Were you guys even able to free Robin? Or does the Joker still have him?" John asked carefully.

None of the Titans spoke up right away. That was the only answer he needed.

"From now on, you guys are off this mission."

"On whose authority?" Bumblebee cried out, eyes blazing as she looked up at him. "You can't just come in here and-"

"For Christ's sake!" Green Arrow spat bitterly, taking a step towards them and brandishing a hand, the other one still absentmindedly clutching Speedy's arrow. "Look at you guys! You're stupid and injured and if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of things for awhile! You're lucky that none of you were killed!"

The indignant rage that radiated from her face was suddenly extinguished, her eyes widening over at him with the color draining from her cheeks. This took Ollie aback, and he glanced at the others, similar changes happening in their expressions, eyes suddenly averting to avoid his. Disbelief clutched him and he dropped his face into his palm.

"Oh for the love of..." he murmured under his breath, furrowing his eyebrows under the sweat of his palm. A spark of angry resentment flared in his chest. These kids really _were _stupid, and now one of them had thrown their young life away...? He just couldn't believe it.

"You-you aren't serious, are you?" John asked carefully, taking a more cautious, concerned step forward, his eyes full of sympathy. He looked around at them, at their dark, troubled expressions. "Who was it?"

Green Arrow blinked, a hand still pressed against his face. He blinked, peering through the gaps between his fingers, his jaw tightening as he focused his full attention on the teens.

Again, no one spoke. They kept their eyes anywhere but on the two heros towering before them. The looked at each other, at the floor, at their hands, at the wall.

Typical teenagers...

Suddenly, he was aware of a pair of dark eyes looking right at him. His fixed his own eyes onto them, and his hand slowly fell as he stared into the endless chasm of sorrow within Bumblebee's gaze.

She quickly broke the connection, and dropped her chin toward her chest with a regretful flinch.

And suddenly, Ollie lungs weren't working anymore. His eyes darted around to the other Titans, suddenly realizing that now... they were all looking at him. He didn't even notice his mouth falling open, or his grip tightening on the yellow arrow in his hand.

John was looking at him now too, warily.

Ollie blinked at the air before him, his brain churning, trying to make sense of it. He had come here expecting Speedy to be angry, or Speedy to be injured. Hell, he half-expected to find Speedy in a coma with half his limbs missing.

But this... the possibility of this... of _that... _had never once crossed his mind... not seriously.

He shook his head without realizing it, the very thought reading in his head like foreign language. Roy was an ungrateful punkass, but he was faster at a bow than Ollie himself was. He was quick-witted and agile, and always managed to pull himself out of whatever trouble he was in, even if it was with his own demons.

There was no way...

In his mind's eye, he saw a set of parents falling to their child's side in front of the burning wreckage of an old building. He heard their cries and saw their pain. He recognized their grief, their loss, but felt so disconnected from it.

He saw a young redheaded kid holding a bow, sneering up at him before aiming and firing an arrow straight down the middle of the first in the target, splitting it clean in half.

That cocky, arrogant little...

...there was no way that he could ever be...

His fingers had tightened their full strength around the shaft of the yellow arrow, his knuckles protesting the exertion. He glanced down at it, the throbbing in his joints jogging him from his memories. His mouth was dry when he tried to swallow, and he felt blank.

"...Ollie?"

He glanced over at his companion, the dark-skinned hero watching him closely with his glowing green eyes. Ollie knew the look in his face far too well, having seen him employ that same expression on far too many people recently. It only made him feel confused, dumbfounded by the entire situation. The pieces still refused to lock together in his mind. He glanced back at the Titans, who were all watching him with equal parts vigilance, uncertainty and remorse. None of them knew what to say to him. There was nothing they _could_ say.

Which meant he really was...

That cocky, arrogant, ungrateful little brat... he was...

"You... you stupid, _fucking _idiots!" he suddenly roared. He swung his arm with all his might, hurling Speedy's arrow at the Titans with everything he had, forcing them to cry out and leap out of the way. The arrow clanged against the far wall with a sickening ring that reverberated through the whole silent room. _"What the hell were you thinking?" _he went on, his brain blinded by anger. _"You stupid little fucks what were you thinking? Why didn't you call us?"_

He barely noted that he was being held back, John had sprang forward and grabbed him into an armlock, forcing him back. He struggled hard against his grip. The ex-marine was shouting something in his ear, but it took a long time for his mind to register what was being said.

"Calm down, Ollie! They're not to blame here! It wasn't their fault! Just calm down!"

"_Wasn't their fault? They're teenagers! They think they're invincible! They don't understand the choices they've - for fuck's sake let me go and I'll teach them! I'll knock some goddamn sense into them!"_

"Ollie, listen to me, you got to _calm down! _This isn't going to-"

"Calm? _CALM?" _he bellowed, wrenching himself from the Lantern's grasp and growling at him. "You're expecting me to be _calm_ when they're trying to tell me that my sidekick, my ward, my _kid,_ has..."

He froze.

His kid... _his _kid...?

He... had never, ever referred to Roy that way before...

His anger melted away completely at that moment, replaced by another emotion, one he couldn't completely recognize at first. It wasn't exactly grief, or loss, or guilt. After a long moment, he understood. Regret. All he felt was tremendous overwhelming regret. His mind suddenly and rapidly flipped through everything he'd known and experienced with Roy. The moments he'd been proud of him, the moments he'd been ashamed of him... the look in his face when he claimed he didn't need Ollie anymore, and walked out the door... That'd been the last time they'd spoken...

...the last time they would ever speak...

"Where is he..." he suddenly croaked, his voice barely functioning. It wasn't a question. It was an order. His knees felt weak and his head felt light, but he remained standing, and kept as much emotion out of his face as possible as he looked at the Titans. They looked at one another.

"I'll take you," Bumblebee spoke up right away, her face set with a sense of duty. She motioned for him to follow, but Green Lantern quickly spoke up.

"After you take him, we all need to sit down and have a chat about exactly what happened." His face was cold and serious, adorned with a frown that created crease lines in his otherwise flawless face. Bee nodded, equally as serious, before turning to escort Green Arrow out. The archer followed numbly, but a few paces past the other Titans, trailed to a stop.

"Who did it...?" he asked hoarsely, turning to look at them with a steely, deadly expression. "Who killed him?"

A couple of glances were exchanged. The green teenager opened his mouth to speak, but his cloaked friend was quicker.

"It was the Joker," she said firmly, her eyes set with something like determination. "He did it."

Ollie nodded at her. He figured as much, but he'd wanted to be sure. He glanced back at the Titan East leader, indicating for her to lead the way.

He turned in time to miss the horrified, questioning look Beast Boy gave Raven.

In fact, no one noticed.

"Alright..." Green Lantern said with incredible force and authority. "Now, you guys, go ahead and start telling me everything that's happened. And don't leave one single thing out..."

* * *

"Ugh... I hate waiting... it's just... so _boring!_"

Harley tugged on the corners of her jesters hat with increasing restlessness, pouting her lip and glaring half-lidded at the bare wall before her. It was as boring and stupid sitting there as it had always been sitting in her old loony cell at Arkham.

_Which is all blowed up now_, she reminded herself with a little giggle, falling back on the hard concrete floor. She snatched up a ball lying on the floor beside her, and threw it up towards the ceiling, grinning like the harlequin she modeled herself after. She caught the ball and threw it again, higher this time. She grabbed for it with her other hand, but miscalculated, the ball hitting her gloved fingertips and bouncing in the wrong direction. She made a sweep for it with both hands, but didn't manage to nab it, watching it grow smaller as it rolled away from her. She tumbled over and got to her hands and knees, crawling toward it. She reached under a table for it and finally whipped it back out.

"Don't you run on me again, ball!" she scolded in a motherly tone, then sat back on her rear. She rolled the ball in her hands a moment, and then looked up.

The boy hadn't moved a single muscle, still leaning slumped against the wall like a lifeless stuffed doll. His appearance actually managed to creep her of all people out, seeing his eyes just staring out at nothing, his starved white face, drool dripping from his smiling lips. After fleeing the asylum before blowing it to pieces, they had brought the boy here, to one of several secret hiding spots they'd picked out. As a result of the apparent relapse the boy had experienced near the end of the fight, the Joker had elected to administer a double dose of his special brainwashing toxin, but Harley secretly wondered if he'd given the kid a little too much. Although, she supposed the beating he'd gotten with the crowbar hadn't helped much, either...

_Oh well_, she thought with a shrug, rolling the ball around on her hand and then flipping her arm over to make it balance on the topside of her knuckles. _Whether we surprise the Bats with a crazy bird or a dead one, we will have the last laugh._

She grinned to herself as she thought of what the Joker was doing now, even if she felt slight jealousy that she hadn't been allowed to go along with him.

_After all_... she thought with a smile, pulling a granola bar from inside her unitard (bras are good for many things). She tore it open with her teeth and chewed thoughtfully, still grinning.

_I've never been inside a place as grand as Wayne Manor before..._

_

* * *

_

Beast Boy walked slowly down one of the hallways of the Tower. He had told the others he was weak and tired, but fine enough not to stay in the hospital wing, and now walked in the general direction of the guest room he'd been using earlier in the week, while Raven had been recovering from what Blood had done to her.

_...that feels like a lifetime ago..._

He sighed, and rubbed a hand over his green face. Even though his glove, he could feel the cold sweat of his hands, and he felt jittery and strange, like his skin was tightening on his muscles and strangling them.

He rounded a corner, and paused before the blank door that he knew was the room he wanted, but he felt no desire to go inside. He wavered a moment, staring at the door's smooth metal surface. Finally, he released a scowl, slamming a fist against the doorjamb, as though to release some of his tension into the metal wall.

Everything seemed to be flipped upside down. One Titan, dead. Another, gone, and wouldn't be coming back. The Justice League were now close to claiming them under house arrest. And, their Tower had been destroyed. Green Lantern had said told them during his little interrogation.

He felt sick. His world had fallen apart around him. At this point, he wasn't even sure how much longer the Teen Titans would be able to exist... they were falling apart at the seams.

After a long moment churning everything over in his mind, he took a step back from the door. He was exhausted, weak, close to collapsing both physically and psychologically, but mentally, he was so focused and riled up that he knew sleep or relaxation was impossible now. The last thing he wanted to do was be alone in there with his thoughts. He took a turn on his heel and continued on down the hallway, toward the staircase that lead upward, towards the crown of the tower.

The night air was cold as he pushed open the trap door that lead to the rooftop. He panted a little, the stairs more than his weakened body could handle. He carefully cleared the last few steps with careful watchfulness, shaking his arms in attempt to drive away the overwhelming fatigue that lingered in his veins. As he stepped into the faint moonlight shining through the clouds, he lifted his head.

Raven glanced over at him from where she floated cross-legged in the air.

"Oh. Raven. ...hey."

"You should be resting," was all she said, turning her head back towards the sea, her face shaded by her cloak.

"So should you," he bit back, his voice more harsh than he meant it to be. He frowned and remained standing near the trapdoor, arms crossing as he looked out at the water.

"I'm not the one who almost died."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the one who died." He walked forward, toward the edge of the roof. He paused before the wall separating him from a terrible fall to the craggy rocks below, and leaned against it, face stony as he stared out at the ocean. The last thing he had wanted was to deal with the thoughts inside his mind out loud with someone else, especially Raven.

Raven didn't respond. Beast Boy glanced over his shoulder at her, and was astonished and annoyed by the fact that she had resumed her meditation. He jutted his chin out in a scowl, then turned fully towards her.

"...why didn't you tell them about Robin?"

Raven didn't even open her eyes. "What do you mean? I answered every question Green Lantern-"

"No!" Beast Boy snapped, shaking a fist at his side. "I mean why didn't you tell them that Robin was the one who did it? You told them the Joker killed Speedy."

Raven opened her eyes now, and they bore into him like a blade.

"That's because the Joker did..."

"_We both saw Robin pull the trigger!_" Beast Boy growled viciously, both hands in fists now, storming forward as he continued. "He didn't even hesitate! He didn't even _blink_, and he shot him dead, without any mercy!"

"Robin's been brainwashed-"

"And you think you can save him?" Spit sputtered from Beast Boy's fangs as he raged on. "You think he _can _be saved?"

"...yes." Raven said, eyes flashing with conviction and determination.

"I thought you said he was gone. You did say."

Raven paused a moment, furrowing her eyebrows down at the ground.

"...he recognized us, Beast Boy..." she murmured quietly. "Something happened, and I felt him in there. When Speedy died, there was no one home... nothing... just a blank puppet... but when he saw us, it brought a little bit of him back." She looked back up at him. "We can bring him back, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy swallowed, his face still flushed from his outburst, his shoulders trembling a little from exertion and exhaustion. Finally, he relaxed a little, his eyes dropping down towards the floor. After a moment, a heaviness settled in his chest, and he sighed, closing his eyes.

"...Raven... even if we _could_ save him... I just... I have a feeling that after this... he wouldn't want us to..."

Their eyes met again, then tore away again, Raven retreating into the solitude of her cloak and mind while Beast Boy moved unsteadily by her, making his way toward the entrance to the staircase.

He pretended not to notice the single tear trickling down her cheek as he passed.

* * *

"Look, you guys didn't need to come after me."

"_They_ didn't need to come after _you_? _You _didn't need to come after _me!_ I could have handled Hades myself!"

"That's not what your distress signal made it sound like..."

"Seriously, Batman. Men are forbidden on Theramascera! You really thought you could just waltz in alone, unannounced, to save Diana and not get in big trouble for it? You're _lucky_ Supergirl and I volunteered to go rescue your sorry butt or you'd be stuck there another two weeks or so."

"I sneak into alot of places I'm not allowed, and I always figure a way out."

"Right. Cuz you're the Batman." Hawkgirl waved her hands to emphasize the words "Batman" with a flourish, then crossed her arms and fumed darkly. "Yeah. I get it."

"Look, Bruce," Diana said softly, touching his arm to make him look at him. She gave him a smile, which he did not return. "I'm flattered that you were so worried about me, but seriously, next time, don-"

"Batman."

J'onn's voice brought them all out of their conversation, and they glanced up at the green martian towering over them from the command center above. Batman looked up at him, and his eyes narrowed as the martian kept his unwavering gaze focused on him. "I wish I could employ the human expression and say that 'your timing is impeccable,' but honestly, I would say it is anything but."

Batman looked at the two female warriors, then marched forward with his overbearing gait, not even bothering with the lift, instead snatching out his grappling hook and aiming for the piping just above the command center. Hawkgirl and Wonderwoman glanced at each other, then flew off to follow him.

Batman landed in a crouch on the top of the console, his cape billowing down slowly, causing him to resemble a gargoyle more than ever. He stared at the Martian Manhunter, then noticed the man standing directly behind him. John Stewart's glowing green eyes looked over at him with grave severity.

"My first question is how long you've been awake," John said, looking the caped crusader up and down. He looked battered and tired.

"What does it matter? Tell me what's going on," he demanded as he stepped down into the ring of monitors and workstations beside the two heros. Hawkgirl and Wonderwoman landed beside him, shifting into stances indicating they were sticking around to listen. Batman narrowed his eyes, ignoring them. "Trouble in Gotham?"

"The Joker," J'onn said simply.

Batman gave a curt nod of complete focus and understanding, and immediately swept pass them towards the aircraft hangar. That was all he needed to hear, he could deal with it on his...

"Bruce," John suddenly spoke up in a careful voice. "He got Robin."

Footsteps silenced in the room.

"Arkham Asylum was destroyed with the bodies of 32 kidnapped children inside. We figured out the Titans were involved. They were there to save Robin. Apparently he disappeared three weeks ago, and the Joker has spent the whole time torturing and brainwashing him."

Batman didn't move from where he stood, his back still turned to all of them. His eyes darted around behind his cowl, his brain already working hard.

_Three weeks ago... that's a little before Diana left..._

_...kidnapped children..._

_...then I was detained for a week and a half, dealing with all of that..._

_...no... it can't be coincidence... he wanted me out of the way so he could..._

_...torturing... brainwashing..._

_...Dick..._

He didn't say a word to them, his cape fluttering as he stepped through the main door, making his way to the lift that would take him to his batjet.

It sounded as though nothing had been dealt with properly. A bunch of kids brutally murdered. A sidekick kidnapped for weeks. He snarled at himself internally, causing a flash of a grimace on his otherwise toneless face. This was exactly why he'd never wanted to be anything more than an occasional member of the Justice League... Gotham had needed him, and he hadn't been there for her, too busy dealing with other problems.

He fought to ignore the terrible chill in his spine that had imbedded itself on the first mention of "Robin." If Robin had held out this long, he could hold out a little longer...

_It's time to end this, Joker._

_

* * *

_**A/N:** Okay, QUICK explanation!

I fully intend on going back into the story and adding in the Bats-WonderWoman-Hawkgirl thing... and omitting Hawkgirl from the original go-to-Gotham cast, because I just realized having 3 founding members and a lower-level member (GA) was just stupid. I really did struggle with piecing together a suitable likely plausible scenario for Batman's whereabouts that didn't feel like a complete cop-out. It still kiiiinda feels like a cop-out, but I think when I go back and revise everything, it wont feel like one as much anymore... anyways, now you know where Batman was. He got captured trying to save stupid fricken Diana and Hawkgirl (and Supergirl, actually) had to go save him, and that's why he wasn't around to help Robin. ...you can see where I'm going with that, can't you. Ah well.

And now Batman's here. Would you all PLEASE STOP ASKING ME ABOUT HIM! (I swear to god if one of you brings it up in joking, I will kill off another character. Don't mess with me man. I've got a keyboard, and I'm not afraid to use it...oh I am REALLY not afraid to use it...)

So anyways... REVIEW! ^_^ I hope you liked!


	56. Angels and Demons

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 56: **Angels and Demons

By popular demand, I add this disclaimer.

Disclaimer: Apart from its characters not being owned by me, this story may cause uncontrollable release of saline fluids from tearducts. The author of this story does not claim any liability for any subsequent keyboard damage that may result from this particular fanfic side effect. Read at your own risk. Terms and conditions may apply, see stores for details. ...sorry, I've always wanted to say that. XD

Yes, obviously, I'm still spoiling you guys. x3 And spoiling myself... you know, I have stuff I need to be doing, like, finding employment. But no. I'm sitting here all day long, writing about DCAU characters. Oh well. I mind not.

* * *

"Oh... I didn't think you'd still be here..."

Ollie blinked, and glanced around, as though confused as to where he was and why. His eyes passed over the dark-shaded walls of the room, at the fluorescent lights, at the lumpy white sheet in the center of it all... finally his gaze rested on the face of the dark-skinned girl that had escorted him there earlier... what was her name again...? He moaned softly, and rubbed his eyes. His brain was a fog, and his eyes burned from remaining open so long... he hadn't moved since he'd sat down, and every joint felt frozen, like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.

"Oh yeah, that's right..." He rubbed the back of his neck, his voice coming out in a croak even as he forced a smile at her. "I said I wasn't going to stick around long, didn't I...?" He tugged on his glove a little to check his watch, and frowned. It was alot later than he'd imagined.

"Stay as long as you need to," she murmured in a glum tone, glancing over at the shrouded figure on the bed with a glazed expression. Green Arrow leaned forward, to his back's protest. His elbows braced against his knees and he let his eyes follow hers.

In honesty, he hadn't even looked at the boy. The sheet was on him when he entered, and he'd left it there. He didn't need to lift it to tell it was him, and had no desire to look at him, knowing what had happened to him... when he thought of Roy, he still saw the seething look on his face when he stormed out forever... as awful as that memory was now, he didn't want to replace it with the face he knew was there now, thanks to the Joker's toxin. He swallowed, his mouth dry as he glanced over at the girl.

"Did Lantern leave?" he finally asked, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah, awhile ago... I thought you left with him. He came to get you half an hour ago."

"He did?" Ollie thought about it a moment. He did vaguely remembering hearing John's voice at some point, but that was it, just his voice. No words, no face, no context. The whole last few hours felt a complete blur. He wasn't even sure how or why he had stuck around so long... it was as though he had fallen into some kind of stupor... and now that he was slowly coming out of it, he just felt stupid. He groaned and pressed his hands to his face, massaging a little before rubbing his fingers up into his hair. He paused, letting his forehead rest in the palms of his hands, his blond hair twisted through his fingers. He hadn't even noticed taking off his hat at any point during the night. Why was it now sitting on the nightstand?

"I'll go ahead and leave y-"

"No," he said a little too quickly, lifting his head to look up at her. He froze a moment as she turned back towards him, a little surprised. He quickly acted to hide the desperate look from his face, shrugging his shoulders and forcing indifference. "I mean, you can stick around if you want... in fact, I probably should just go. It's not fair of me to hog him..."

He intended to get up, but he found himself reluctant to do so. The Teen Titan didn't move from where she stood at the door, as though unsure whether she wanted to stay or leave. Her eyes focused on the white sheet again.

"You're the leader, right?" he asked, trying to break the silence more than anything.

"Yeah," she said. The question only served to make her gloomier, and she avoided his gaze purposefully, a hint of guilt to her stance.

"...why do you do this?"

"Oh, I'm the leader because Spark-er, Cyborg chose me to be."

"No. Why do you fight? Why be a superhero? Kids with mutations like yours go through surgery all the time in order to lead a normal life, go to school, all that stuff. Why are you a Teen Titan?"

The girl looked at him with intense focus, and it was clear that she could tell what he was getting at... He wasn't really asking about her...

She looked away thoughtfully, holding her arms close to herself.

"I do it because... I can. Because I want to. Because I need to. I mean... a normal life?" She shook her head. "Honestly, after everything, I don't think I could ever lead a normal life. Besides the fact I don't have any other home to go to, I just don't think I could do normal kid stuff like homework...sports...movies. I would spend all my time thinking about the atrocities that happen in a city like this one, and knowing there are so many people out there who just don't care, and wont do anything to help it..."

Green Arrow shook his head. "You're just a kid. You shouldn't be putting your life on the line like this... you just don't get it."

The girl looked over at him with a dark, angry expression. For a moment, he thought she was going to blow a gasket, but she took a deep, steadying breath.

"You know, Roy is not the only kid who's ever died, Green Arrow," she said in a very firm voice, eyes blazing with purpose. "I have seen boys his age shoot each other in cold blood, all because they belonged to rivaling gangs. I have watched a girl my age die on the asphalt of the freeway after being pulled from a five-car wreck. There are kids starving on the streets, selling themselves for money, overdosing on drugs, being beaten by their parents... ending their own lives..." She swallowed hard, looking at him. "Kids die everyday in this town. I would much rather die knowing I've done my part to save a thousand other lives, than in a car accident or a gutter."

Green Arrow didn't speak a long moment, kind of just allowing her words to circle the air a few times. He stared at the lump of bedsheet that he knew to be a face, and he gave a small, shaky laugh, closing his eyes and shaking his head before passing a smile up at her.

"You're good. If I'd asked him the question, he just would've said he does whatever he damn well pleases."

The Titan leader grinned a little, her eyes sad with agreement. "I know. But face it - could you ever picture Speedy leading any other life?"

Green Arrow's smile faded away, replaced by a solemn look. He looked over at him, unable to see him through the sheet that blanketed him. His stomach churned a little as he contemplated the question.

The truth was, he could easily see Roy in two other lives... The first, a life still at his side, if only Ollie hadn't let him down like he did... The other... maybe already six feet underground, if Roy hadn't overcome what he'd had to, no thanks to him...

It racked his very core with guilt, even if he really wouldn't admit to it, ever.

"Green Arrow?"

Ollie looked up at her, with a little difficulty. He had to blink a few times to see her clearly _...sonuvabitch, why are my eyes doing that...?_

The teen straightened a little, as though to stand her ground. Her hands tightened into fists.

"You should be proud of him, proud of everything he did for this city, and for us." She grew more stern, and thrust a finger at him, her voice raising as though in a threat. "You _better_ be proud!"

He managed a smile, a little amused at her demanding tone and intimidating pose. It was pretty clear now how she had ever managed to become leader, how Speedy could ever have allowed her to. He nodded, and looked back over at the draped sheet.

"You don't have to worry about that..." he said softly, though his response wasn't exactly directed at her... He leaned back against his chair, taking a harsh breath through his nose that almost sounded like a sniff, and his voice was a little quieter and shakier than he meant it to be. "But that doesn't mean I'm not pissed as hell at him..."

The Titan girl paused a moment, giving a small nod in understanding. As though knowing she needed to, she gave Speedy one last glance and then stepped from the room, her back turning just in time to let Ollie wipe his eyes on the back of his hand.

_Pissed as hell... that you didn't let me tell you for myself..._

_...fucking kid..._

_

* * *

_

It was amazing what one could do during the flight between the orbiting Justice League command center and Gotham City. In the time it'd taken to get through the atmosphere and flying over Florida, Batman had already done some research on the children the Jokers had kidnapped, and dug into the Titans archives (what few he could get into, since their servers were down in wake of the Tower's collapse). Soaring over the country towards his hideout, he skimmed some police records and witness reports, familiarizing with all the crime that had happened while he'd been detained, trying to find links where others could not.

He probably could've done a little more, if Green Lantern hadn't kept interrupting him.

So, a Titan finally lost his life. It was no surprise, he thought to himself. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

He didn't let himself think of the fact that it was Green Arrow's former sidekick, and how much that mirrored the present situation.

Green Lantern relayed some important information - how the Titans found out about the Joker, what'd happened to Robin, how far-reaching the Joker's influence had gone to keep them preoccupied and away from Robin. He wasn't too terribly concerned about the boy, though. After all, Robin had been well-vaccinated against the Joker's venom, as they all had. If he was still alive, it meant the antidote was doing it's job. All he had to do was get Robin back, and they would figure out how to reverse whatever damage had been done.

His console beeped, indicating his descent into the smoggy skies of Gotham. He sat back in his chair, hitting a few buttons, pulling it out of autopilot and flying forward, towards the secret entrance in the cliffs beyond Wayne manor.

As he banked over the sea, and turned toward the cliff face. His fingertips tapped out a series of numbers into the computer, and topped it off by pressing the small red button on the side.

The cliff grew closer and closer. Only one second had to pass before he knew, something wasn't right.

He pulled hard on the yoke, forcing the jet into a hard turn. The plane jolted as the wing skimmed a rocky outcropping, the scraping sound that accompanied it making him wince. The plane spun into a short barrel roll. G-forces pressed him into his seat, making his head throb a little as he fought for control again. As the plane settled the right way up, he craned his head around to look at the cliffside. Nothing. He turned back to the control panel, and pressed the number in again. Maybe he punched it in wrong?

...he never would punch it in wrong.

His fingers marched over the control panel, flipping a few switches before pressing and holding one last button. "Alfred. Alfred, come in."

He released the button, and waited. Ten seconds passed, but there was no response.

"Alfred?" he asked again, growing uneasy. He looked at the cliffside once more, then banked, raising his altitude and shooting over the thicket that separated the seaside from Wayne manor. He cut the thrust a little, his altitude falling as the craft slowed for him to see.

His heart froze in his chest, eyes widening, as he passed over the front gardens of the vast Wayne estate.

The front door was busted inward.

He fought for control of his hands, bringing the craft around and down for a hovering landing. It lurched and dropped the last ten feet or so, but Batman didn't even wait for the engines to start dying before ripping open the cockpit window and charging up the staircase, and through the front doors.

He stood there a long moment, just taking in the scene with complete disbelief. The entire manor was in complete disarray, vandalized, violated. Nothing had been left untouched, tables and chairs overturned, seat cushions ripped open, pictures torn from the wall. His eyes darted around at it all, his brain racing in panicked overdrive, threatening to overheat.

This was not an ordinary burglary...

It wasn't just the vase lying broken on the floor rather than taken for hock that gave it away. It was it, and the fact that the code to his airplane hangar had been altered. This was anything but a typical robbery...

He swallowed hard, glancing around.

_Alfred... where are you...?_

Any worry that threatened to show in his face he quickly suppressed as he stepped carefully, vigilantly, menacingly, into the grand hallway of the mansion, moving as though expecting monsters to leap out of the walls to bring him down. He followed a familiar path through the corridors of his house, looking with disgust at the broken portraits littering the floor, the overturned table, the open drawers, the tumbled umbrella stand... he rounded a doorframe, and paused a moment, eyes widening behind his cowl. He quickened his pace to a sprint, passing through one narrow hallway, ignoring the broken windows, ignoring the overturned rug and scattered books.

It was the grandfather clock, torn from the wall and cast aside, that had his full attention.

He shot through it, passing through a dark stone corridor before coming to a halt at the top landing of a long, harrowing stair passage that passed through the tremendous cavern which existed between his home, the cavern that held everything he'd tried most to hide.

"Dear God, no..." he gasped in disbelief.

It wasn't the bits of weaponry and costumes strewn over the floor he noticed. It wasn't the pieces of memorabilia, reminders of past crooks and past fights, knocked over or missing, or the shattered glass from display cases littering the ground. It wasn't the smoking wreckage of the Batmobile, or his lab table tipped over, chemicals pooling on the floor and bubbling as they reacted.

It wasn't even the enormous blood-stained letters that covered the surfaces of the ceiling, walls, floors and computer screen, laughing at him as they spelled out "HA HA HA!"

...it was the familiar figure in his chair, slumped forward over the computer console... unmoving...

Panic seized him in a way he hadn't allowed it to in a very long time. He didn't even bother with the stairs, leaping over the side of the stairs forty feet to the floor below. He landed with ease, and sprinted, with everything he had, jumping over mannequins of old costumes. His heart pounded in his ears as he approached, his nerves completely shot as he gripped the shoulders of the black dress coat he had seen almost every day of his life, pulling its owner over gently into his arms.

A cry of horror almost escaped him as that bald head rolled into the crook of his arm, revealing the terrible ear-to-ear grin plastered to Alfred's once kind old face. Batman swallowed hard, gently lowering the old butler to the floor. The man grinned out at nothing, his face pale, body stiff as a board. The wrist Bruce reached for remained firmly up in the air by a bent elbow, hands gnarled and twisted in a grotesque gesture. The dark knight felt the wrist desperately for a pulse, then dropped his head to the man's lapel, holding his breath with eyes wide and burning, straining to hear something... anything...

_please Alfred don't do this to me... please... not now..._

Suddenly he gasped, and leapt back as a terrible sound came billowing out of Alfred's lungs. He watched in shock and dismay as the old butler began laughing, a harsh, painful wheeze that made Bruce's hair stand on end beneath his cowl. Alfred reached out a hand and clutched him, his eyes wild and manic as he shuddered with the uncontrollable fit.

"M-master Bruce..." he managed, before dissolving into heart-crushing cackles, his head falling backwards.

Bruce's mind actually refused to work for a moment. He looked around in panicked loss as to what to do. After far too long a moment, he shook his head, bringing himself back, and leapt to his feet. He staggered over to his lab table and threw it violently aside, searching its spilled contents all over the floor while careful not to step on spots of smoking, bubbling chemicals. Finally, he saw what he needed, and snatched up an unbroken vial of green liquid. He reached shakingly to his belt, pulling out a small inoculation gun and snapping the vial into place. Crossing the distance between them in three steps, he pressed the tip of the gun to Alfred's neck, and fired.

A loud, wheezing gasp left Alfred's lips before he suddenly collapsed back to the floor. Bruce fought to breathe, lowering the gun slowly as he watched the faint rise and fall of Alfred's chest beneath his bloody lapel.

_How... could this have happened...?_ he thought, anger beginning to replace the fear that had just consumed him in ways he hadn't felt in so long. He looked around, at his destroyed headquarters, at the destruction and vandalism.

The Joker... had been here... inside his home... inside the cave...

He swallowed hard, his nerves rattling inside his spine at a frequency to try and shatter his vertebrae. He felt sick. He truly felt sick.

This... this meant... that Robin had...

"Welcome home, Batman!" a voice exclaimed, followed by the toot of a party horn.

Gotham's hero leapt up so quickly it made him dizzy, leaping back to stare up at the terrible, mocking grin that now greeted him from the enormous computer screen. Shock quickly dissolved into dark rage, his fingers tightening into fists.

"You..." was all he could speak, his face twitching violently as he grimaced in pure outrage.

"Of course, Batface! Who else could it be?" The Joker sneered down at him, his white face filling up almost the whole computer screen. "I have to say, it was very lonely for me to have you gone so long. I even dropped by to pay you a visit, and you weren't home. I sure did miss you, Bruce..."

Batman furrowed his eyebrows up at the face on the screen, his stomach twisting and clawing at the rest of his insides.

_this isn't happening..._

"That's right, Bats! I know everything..." The Joker beamed more, and then pulled something into view, making the superhero's heart skip a beat. It was a family picture... his favorite family picture... a little seven-year-old him, flanked on either side by one proud, smiling parent.

"Look at the happy family," the Joker said with feigned sorrow, dangling the picture from a couple of fingers. His cold eyes darted towards him, and a slow smile waxed across his face. "I have to admit, Bruce, when I found out the truth... well, it was kind of like a kid peeking at his Christmas presents. It was sadly anticlimactic." He balanced the frame on his finger. "To think, beneath all the sturm and batarangs you're just a little boy in a playsuit crying for Mummy and Daddy. It'd be so funny, if it weren't so pathetic..." He paused a moment to think about it, then shrugged. "Oh, what the heck, I'll laugh anyway!"

His terrible, high-pitched cackling echoed through the cave, causing the bats dwelling high above to screech and take flight, heading for the exit.

Batman charged forward, gripping to the edge of the computer console tightly in his gloved hands, his shoulders trembling with all his rage. He bared his teeth in a terrible grimace, but couldn't say anything... there was nothing to say... if the Joker had been standing there before him, if he could only reach through the glass to get to him...

The Joker's laughter dissolved, and he wiped a tear from his eye. "Aww, whatsamatter, Bats? Sad you can't get me? You can't even touch me right now. I'm the one in control... you are at my mercy..."

"You're going to regret this..." Bruce hissed dangerously, eyes narrow slits in his cowl.

"You haven't even seen the best part yet!" Joker chirruped happily. He waved the family portrait in the screen one more time, then tossed it behind him. As the tink of glass shattering sounded, Joker waved off-camera, and Harley stepped into frame, followed by another figure.

Bruce's heart stopped dead.

It couldn't be...

The Joker clapped a hand on the shoulder of what could easily have been mistaken as a clone of himself. Harley stood on the other side, the three of them standing there like a sickened parody of the old family picture. Batman stared with mouth agape at the computer screen, eyes focused on the ghostly white face of the smallest clown. A pair of lips, pulled into the tightest, most painful Joker smile Bruce had ever seen... there were huge gaps where molars had once stood... Hair, green and sleeked back. Shoulders hunched and hands twisted before him, a purple jacket matching the Jokers. And a pair of eyes, wide and unblinking, devoid of any feeling, any thought, any life. Dead. Dead in every way that mattered.

"No..." was all he could whisper, his entire body numb with disbelief.

"Just look! One big, _happy_ family!" the Joker chirped cheerfully, pulling Harley closer to him, causing her to giggle. He looked out at the Batcave, his eyes glinting murderously. "What's wrong, Bats?" he asked, his voice suddenly growing deep and dangerous. "Are you sad about your little bird? Well, don't worry - I will take care of him. I mean, look how much happier he is now with me..." He bent forward, holding the boy in a cross between a headlock and a hug, nuzzling cheeks with a fiery demented look in his eye.

Suddenly, a strange sound permeated the enormous volume of the cave, echoing and ringing, ripping Bruce's heart through the back of his chest. A high, dead, sickening chuckle... weak and weary, heaving from the boy's chest like a death rattle.

The next thing he knew, a roar of hatred leapt from his throat, and the enormous chair beside him leapt from his grasp and into the screen of the computer, crashing through it with a shower of glass and circuits. His body trembled, his hands clenched into fists and his jaw clamped so tightly, his teeth felt like they would splinter.

His insides felt empty and frozen, his mind clouded with shock and disbelief. He swallowed, his throat dry. After a long, terrible moment, he glanced down at his oldest friend, lying by his feet, struggling to breathe and struggling to survive.

_...this isn't happening..._

_

* * *

_

The Joker kept his grip around Jay's shoulders as Batsy broke the connection. The Gotham madman sighed with a peaceful, content face at the wonderful sound coming from the boy's throat. _I never get tired of a child's sick, twisted laughter_, he mused with a smirk. He finally stood back, turning the boy around and holding his shoulders, looking him over carefully. The Joker's face shifted from contented satisfaction to dangerous skepticism, looking the boy terribly in the eyes with his own blazing red ones.

He had to be sure that Robin, the hero, had truly been stomped out of him. That he was the empty shell he needed to be. That he was truly _his_ sidekick, from now until the end. He patted the boy's shoulders and stepped aside, waltzing over to a corner of the room.

"I brought you a present, Sonny Boy!" he announced, grabbing a burlap sack and tugging it towards himself. Jay turned to look at him, eyes wide but emotionless, grin still strong, baring the few teeth left in his mouth. Harley looked on with curiosity and a hint of suspicious jealousy as her boss reached into the bag, and pulled out what was within.

A small wimper left the throat of the small dog whose shock collar was clasped tightly in the Joker's white glove. It waggled its feet uselessly in the air, its ears and tail droopy as it looked around with justified fear. Harley froze, wide-eyed.

The dog was a shade of forest green.

"Is that...?" she began dimly, cocking her head to the side with a little grin.

The Joker grinned sinisterly, a knowing, mischievous glint to his eye. "The shock collar keeps him from transforming," he informed her and the boy simply, pulling a gun from his pocket. He tossed it to the teen, who didn't hesitate in stepping forward to catch it. The villain smiled, pleased at the reaction, but still wary.

This was a test... the boy had lost it when the green changeling went down before... if he did this time...

"Go ahead, Jay," he murmured in a dangerous undertone, holding the dog out at arm's length to his side.

Slow, sickly laughter filled the room as the boy lifted the gun into position. He held it for a moment, chuckling and sputtering uncontrollably, eyes unblinking as they stared down the whining green mutt.

The Joker watched carefully, for any hint, any sign...

"Take him out..." he dared, eyes narrowing viciously.

Immediately, the roar of gunfire flicked their eardrums painfully, and a split second later, terrible, yelping cry surrounded them. The sounds echoed wonderfully against the walls of the room, ringing in his ears like music. The boy's laughter doubled, and he fired, a second time, a third, as though to plug out the dog's pathetic whimpering. A fourth... a fifth time... the dog had already quieted by the time the sixth shot rang... that one was purely for pleasure. Finally, the reverberating hum of gunfire finally dimmed to silence, like the last measure of a beautiful symphony falling away into the silence right before applause. The Joker sneered dangerously, dropping the limp weight from his hand, eliciting a thud like a punctuation mark on an important sentence. He strode forward, an enormous, proud grin born on his face. He didn't even pay any head to the blood now splattered all over him, staining his white glove and waistcoat.

"Well done, my boy," he said proudly, sinisterly, sweeping the boy into his arms, smiling pleasantly at the boy's rising laughter. He turned his head to look at Harley, eyes blazing with childlike glee.

"I do believe it's time to go on a family outing... what do you say...?"

"Oh, that would be so fun!" Harley squealed happily, clasping her hands together. "I'll pack the sunscreen and the plastic explosives!"

"Sounds like a plan..."

He gave the boy a quick, fatherly pat on the shoulders, then stepped away, pulling his blood-splattered jacket off. He needed to change - afterall, he had to look his best for their day out. He tossed the spoiled purple coat aside, and then began peeling off his white gloves, looking down at them with a growing smile, noticing splotches of green dye beneath the red splatters of dog blood.

_This is just far too much fun..._ he thought with a mental trill of pleasure, casting his gloves aside and moving towards the large theatrical trunk in the corner of the room. He opened it and pulled out a clean purple jacket, pulling it on and straightening out the flower corsage. He pulled out a tophat and plopped it on his head, tilting it with gusto and grinning at nothing.

It was just about time for the grand finale...

* * *

"We cannot just sit here and do nothing..."

Starfire spoke in a slow, aggravated tone. Her fingernails were practically digging into the surface of the table that stood in the main room of the Titans East Tower.

"I know, Star, but what can we do?" This voice came from the computer speakers, Cyborg's face looming over them from the large monitor that dominated the wall of the room. He looked so worn out, even his robotic eye appeared to have bags under it. "The Justice League said to stay out of it..."

The sun had risen, and both sets of Titans had finally been able to have some sleep, but none of them had slept much, if at all. Starfire tugged at her bandages, growling a little and trying to scratch through them. They had grown very itchy.

"They are not the bossed of us," she seethed, scratching more fervently, even electing to try and chomp through them until Raven swatted her to stop.

"No, but they have experience and resources we don't..." Bumblebee spoke up. She stood off to the side, as though to allow the four original Titans some space while still being in on the conversation. Beside her, Aqualad remained silent, arms crossed and head bowed as he leaned up against the wall. His stance greater resembled another Titan than himself.

"Yeah," Beast Boy spoke up in a gravelly voice, picking a piece of lint off his shirt before giving a sigh, slumping his chin down to the table. "You guys heard Lantern. This isn't Teen Titan territory anymore. It's passed over into League territory - Batman territory. He would use his Batglare on us if we tried to intervene. His _Batglare!_" He looked very sternly over at Starfire, eyes narrowed, face growing red as he held his breath, attempted as best he could to recreate the terrible look. Starfire merely blinked, unperturbed, and began pulling on her bandages again.

"None of those things should matter. He is our friend, and we must help him." Starfire grumbled darkly, finally electing to unwrap the gauze, wincing as it pulled at hairs but surprised to see her skin had mostly healed up. She began unwinding the dressings more eagerly, grimacing angrily as though putting all her built-up tension into the act of freeing herself from their grip.

"The thing is..." Raven began, the others glancing at her with interest, since she hadn't spoken for much of the conversation. She didn't look at any of them, her face concealed beneath the beak-like shadow her cloak always cast. Her voice was low, and serious. "If anyone were to see us in Gotham, chasing down a teenaged Joker, they would draw conclusions - someone would know that Robin had been brainwashed and turned into a dangerous psychotic puppet. If Robin were to come back, it could be used against him."

"If? You say 'if,' as though you do not truly believe he will come back. He _will_!" Daggers blazoned in Starfire's eyes as she stared down the other Titan girl, a ring of gauze now surrounding her chair.

"He'll be saved, Star," Cyborg spoke up through the video phone. "It's just, this time, it's not going to be us that..."

"Hey... Cyborg? You'd... better take a look at this."

Cyborg glanced up, towards the ceiling of their Tower but they knew that on his end, he was actually looking up at Kid Flash. The scenery behind him began to shift, his head bumping around within the walls of the screen like a ball as he and his arm camera moved to join Kid Flash. A couple of the teens in the Titans East Tower looked away, the joggy viewpoint making dizziness come easily.

There was a long moment of silence as Cyborg stared without blinking at something beyond their view. Those in the Tower grew uneasy seeing his expression morph from basic interest to paralyzed disbelief. They could hear the familiar sound of a news brief happening in the background.

"Guys..." he breathed quietly at them, his face losing color. "Check the news. Now."

"Which one?" Bumblebee asked, turning to a smaller monitor on the wall and grabbing some controls.

"Uh... MSBNN..."

Bumblebee's fingers moved gracefully as she typed in a few commands. Within only a couple seconds, the smaller screen sprang to life.

A chorus of alarmed gasps swept through the room.

"-is the scene today in Gotham City, as Harley Quinn and an unknown Joker boy terrorized Gotham Central Park. After breaking a pair of hyenas from the city zoo, the two criminals were last seen wreaking havoc on Gotham Park's annual Summertime Carnival. The Joker himself has not yet been spotted, but as injuries and death tolls climb, police and Justice League members have..."

"Robin..." Starfire mewed in pure disbelief, getting to her feet, mouth hanging open. The news anchor spoke atop a montage of shaky video footage, screams heard between the sounds of explosions and gunfire. A golfcart, veering around the corner, a pair of hyenas charging beside it, biting at unfortunate bystanders as the woman driving the cart laughed with glee. Beside her sat a small figure, wearing a purple suit and bearing a terrible grin. As the cart neared the retreating camera, the boy swung his gun towards it, firing a shot that barely missed the camera lens. The scene dissolved in a haze of green fog and screams, the camera angle wavering, then tilting sideways just before the feed was cut, bringing the attention back to the anchorpeople in the studio.

"...that's..." Beast Boy began, but couldn't finish, his face the shade of vomit, which was exactly what he looked like doing. A knowing look swept his face, and he looked away, unable to watch, curling inward, practically hearing the dying laughter of the cameraman and whoever had been near him.

"...'death tolls...?'" repeated Starfire incredulously. "But, Robin wouldn't..."

"The way he's firing... there's no way he hasn't..." spoke up Bumblebee darkly.

A glance passed between Beast Boy and Raven. Aqualad looked between them from where he leaned, then turned to look at nothing, frowning deeply.

"There... must be something we can do..." Starfire whispered.

They all looked at one another. No one replied. No one said anything. Silence smothered them, and they just sat, allowing the video footage and news anchors say it all for them.

In Jump City, Cyborg glanced up, looking from Kid Flash, to Tramm, to Jinx, to Herald. They all remained just as quiet, the news report coming from the small television in the firehouse all that could be heard as Jinx and Kid Flash looked somberly at one another, and Herald returned Cyborg's lost look.

A single thought passed through the mind of each and every Teen Titan simultaneously... they looked at one another, and knew...

* * *

**A/N**

And knew... what? What did they know, melimsah? WHAT DID THEY KNOW?

Oh, come on, gotta put a cliffhanger in! What do you take me fer?

...yes, I'm talking to myself... STOP JUDGING US- er- ME!

OH! Also, I tend to tweet about chapters (among other things XD) melimsah, if'n you like teh twitters on the internets. xD Thought that'd be a nice bonus for some of youse guys.

...yeah, I dunno why I'm talking like that either. Review and stuff! You guys are the BEST!


	57. Like Water Through My Hands

**Teen Titans: Return of the Joker**

**Chapter 57: **Like Water Through My Hands

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys! So, I went to San Diego Comic Con again this year (only for a day - long story). I walked through the huge exhibit hall and looked at all the people behind the tables talking with fans about whatever it is that put them on the other side of the table. And all I could think about was how awesome it would be to be one of them, to be on the other side of the table at a convention. I mean, seriously? How awesome would that be?

Then I realized, well, I kinda already have a little of that, here.

:) I have the best readers ever. Did I ever tell you all that? I am so glad that each and every one of you are here, reading my story. I'm proud of this story. So proud of it. It's my baby. It's consumed my life for two years now, and has been a nagging idea for almost 6 years now. I don't get money for this, but I do get another awesome reward. It's the joy of creating it, and the joy of people liking it. I know I am incredibly lucky to have as many people reading and commenting on my story as I do, and I just wanted you all to know how grateful I am that you do, that you have not only taken the time to read this magnum opus, but to review and PM me with your thoughts and questions and kind words (and occaisional ranting poem).

So basically, I just want to say... thanks. Thanks so much, you guys! You're the best! And now, without further ado...

* * *

"...he's being sloppy."

"The Joker is never sloppy..."

The Martian didn't respond, frowning down at one of the many monitors littering the console of the Watchtower's command center. Various footage from the recent attacks on Gotham ran on a continuous loop on every screen, though the Caped Crusader didn't even glance at them, his focus set solely on one lone computer keyboard. His fingers marched violently over the keyboard, his jaw set so tight it hurt.

It did seem sloppy. There seemed no immediate rhyme or reason in sending Harley and Robin out into Gotham like this. The only real explanation was that the Joker was just out to grab his attention...

_...as if destroying my home and trying to kill Alfred weren't attention-grabbing enough..._ he thought savagely. The old butler's kind old face wafted into his mind's eye, and he grimaced despite himself, thinking of him. His oldest friend, the man who practically raised him, was now lying somewhere in the hospital wing of the Watchtower, fighting for his life. The antidote had done all it could... it was up to Alfred now...

Batman mentally smacked himself, forcing his full attention back on the monitor before him. He couldn't let himself be distracted by concern, for Alfred or for Robin. He had to focus. Focus on the Joker. Focus on the situation. Focus on ending this as quickly as possible.

But despite all his best efforts to remain fully focused on the screen before him, his tired brain began to wander again. In the back of his mind, lingering like a gnat, was the memory of that terrible, tortured smile.

_Dick..._

He swallowed hard and glanced over at one of the screens, where that very face flashed past the camera, laughing maniacally.

This had to end...

There was a continuous stream of voices crackling through the static of the transmitters. The voices of heroes, talking to one another, revealing all the action happening down on Earth.

_"Superman, I lost track of them-"_

_"They're trying to give us the slip, search for them-"_

_"I'll be right there, Diana. My help is needed over here..."_

Bruce glared intensely back down at the monitor before him, listening to those voices, eyes scanning his screen, at a satellite image of that area of Gotham. There had to be something... something to clue him in as to...

"Isn't it amazing just how much damage a single psychopath can cause?" spoke up a new voice. It didn't come from the radio feed, but instead from directly behind him. Batman's fingers slowed ever so slightly on the keyboard, but his intense gaze didn't move.

"After all the years you've been doing this, Ollie, I doubt you're all that amazed by it."

The Green Arrow crossed his arms and strode forward to stand level with Batman, his masked eyes staring down at one of the screens broadcasting the news footage. His stomach turned seeing the twisted, smiling face that he knew had once been Robin's. Disgusted anger lapped at his heart. "Yeah... you'd think I'd have seen it all, but just when I think I have, there always ends up being _somebody_ who'll come along and shatter that belief..."

Batman glanced sideways at the green archer. Though the dark knight's face was its usual brand of emotionlessness as he took in the other's grim, dark face, it didn't mean his thoughts were. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Green Arrow looked over at him a little bitterly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't get the memo stating that I'm too low on the superhero totem pole to be allowed on the bridge. My mistake."

The Martian Manhunter strode forward from where he'd been lurking, just as Ollie turned to storm away, barring his exit. His red eyes were steady as he spoke to the archer. "I think what Batman meant was, why are you here, and not down there? I admit, I am a little surprised, myself."

"Would've thought you'd be down there right now, to get the Joker back for what he did..." Batman added, eyes still glued to his monitor.

Green Arrow glanced over at Batman with a petulant face, but the distant look in his eyes didn't match the sulking expression. He looked back down at the monitors.

"I guess you could say I'm trying to exercise a little restraint. If I know me - and I do - I know that if I were to get within 50 yards of that psychotic murdering little fuck, he would have an arrow where his Adam's apple should be..." Ollie's eyes narrowed darkly. "The last thing I need is the temptation... but that doesn't mean I wont be hanging around up here watching you all take him down." Ollie glanced up at the Dark Knight, surveying him carefully. "What about you, Bats? What are you doing here? He took just as much away from you as me."

There was a moment of tense silence, as though Batman hadn't even let the thought occur to him.

"I have some things to check out first..." Batman grumbled simply reaching over and grabbing a mouse, clicking a few times before going back to typing.

"And you're not doing this in your own little "Fortress of Solitude" because..."

Batman didn't speak, and Ollie understood almost immediately. "Oh, gotchya..." He turned and sat back into one of the few chairs scattered throughout the room, rubbing his beard, signs of exhaustion peeking through his carefully composed exterior.

_So the Joker busted in on the Batcave, huh...?_ Ollie glanced over at the nearest monitor, still displaying one of the many video clips of the mayhem happening in Gotham. He watched in silence as the boy formerly known as Robin raised a Smilex gun at the camera and fired. Ollie was struck by the complete lack of hesitation or remorse in the boy's movements, the totally empty, soulless look in his gaunt white face. The unwavering, endless smile brought chills to the archer's spine.

He suddenly felt as though, if anything, more had been taken from Batman than from him. What happened to Speedy had been quick, possibly even painless. But Robin... Ollie shook his head a little, unable to believe it. A boy like Robin doesn't crack easily, doesn't give in, doesn't spill the beans. In fact, Ollie had once doubted that anyone would ever get any amount of information out of the kid without killing him first.

But the Joker had...

And judging by the boy's starved appearance, and the cuts and bruises and infections clear on his body, he wasn't too far from the same fate... and that was just physically. Psychologically, there may be no way to save him.

But that was for the shrinks to decide... if they could ever get him back.

There was a sudden movement that made Ollie look up. Batman had moved away from his spot, turning and striding past him with his cloak billowing behind. His face was set, a man on a mission.

"Figured out what you needed to?" Ollie asked unnecessarily, watching the other man sweep by him.

Batman didn't respond, heading into the shadows of the hallway beyond the room. Ollie frowned at his departing back, his fingers drumming restlessly on the console as he cast a glance over at the screen the dark knight had just abandoned, but it had gone blank.

"Good to know the guy cares about something," Ollie grumbled with an air of attitude, hooking an ankle over his knee and leaning back in his chair. "Sometimes, I wondered..."

"He cares more than you'll probably ever know..." the Martian replied knowingly, his somber red gaze staring after Gotham's hero long after he'd left. Ollie nodded dully, looking at one of the screens.

"'Spose your right... just hope it isn't too late..."

* * *

"Mommy! _MOMMY!_"

A young girl was screaming, sitting uselessly in the middle of the deserted carnival. She sounded scared, alone, and as good as dead. A young boy, maybe her age or slightly older, could only watch from his hiding spot with wide, horrified eyes, as the girl suddenly went from screaming for her mommy to falling to her knees, gasping for breath as colored smoke made her laugh. The boy, a freckled redhead named Charlie, slid further beneath the balloon stall, clutching his stuffed animal to his face, a stuffed animal he had only triumphantly obtained maybe half an hour earlier at the ring toss booth. He breathed through it, inhaling the stale plastic smell of its stuffing so he wouldn't have to breathe the terrible laughing smoke that had made many other people fall over laughing and then go quiet. Tears streamed down his face and into the plush fur of his bear. He wanted nothing more to scream for his mommy. But he didn't know where she was, and he didn't want to smell that horrible smoke, didn't want it to make him laugh either. He knew, that kind of laughing, it was bad.

He clenched his eyes tight, salty tears slipping through his lashes as he buried his face harder into his new stuffed bear. Why was it all still happening? Why didn't the police stop this? The screaming and the laughing and the sirens... it sounded like the movies his big brothers would watch, the ones that would give him nightmares even if he had only listened in from the other room. His shoulders hunched and shuddered. He didn't even know where his big brothers were now. That was scary. That was so scary.

"That's it! We've done enough! Come on, Jay!" called out a high voice that made the little boy under the booth open his eyes and look up, bear still smashed against his face. Through the thin fabric of the booth's tablecloth, Charlie saw a set of feet clamor past him, followed by a smaller pair. He heard a strange howling sound, and cried out into the back of his bear as a terrible creature bounded by. It suddenly stopped, standing like a strangely big dog before him. Its fur was grey with dark spots, and its face looked smashed in and sinister. It turned its dark eyes towards him, and a tongue lolled around its gaping mouth as that strange howling sound shook through the creature's throat. It sounded like a coyote laughing.

Suddenly, the creature ran forward, and its jaws snapped at him beneath the booth. The boy squealed and scurried back, and then screamed as his ankle burst open with pain, the strange dog creature sinking his teeth into it. He dropped his bear as he cried out, kicking his other foot in reflex to try and knock the creature away. But instead he found himself being dragged out from under the booth, his screams echoing off the ferris wheel.

Oh man, it hurt. It hurt so bad!

"Noooo! Put him down, baby! We gotta go!" The voice belonged to a woman dressed like a court jester, standing a little ways away. She whistled and, reluctantly, the creature let go of Charlie, leaving him screaming on the sidewalk, his ankle bleeding and mangled as he pressed a hand to his mouth, to block out the terrible smell of smoke. His head had already begun to feel funny, though. It felt like someone had shoved cotton balls into every place inside his head. His screams were soon replaced with tired laughter.

The next thing he knew, his head rested against something hard but soft, if that made any sense at all. He blinked, his arm stinging a little, but not as much as his leg did. His eyes burned with tears, and he lifted his gaze, and gaped in disbelief.

He was being cradled carefully in one arm of a costume-clad woman, his head resting against her shoulder as she kicked the head of the strange laughing dog creature with her boot.

"Have you come back to me, child?" she asked with a strange air to her voice, dark hair falling over her shoulder. The boy blinked dully, unable to believe it.

"You're Wonder Woman..." was all he could say as he stared up at her.

"I'll take that as a yes," the heroine said as she turned to face the jester-headed villainess, who cried out in horror, hands shakingly pulling out a walky talky from noewhere.

"Mr. Jay!" she squealed into it. "Mr. Jay! It's the Justice-URK!" Wonder Woman reached out with her free hand and grabbed the woman by the throat, then hurled her across the concrete sidewalk as easily as if she were made of styrofoam.

"Wow..." Charlie whispered in awe, eyes wide. He glanced around, feeling coming back to his body. There were other heros there, too. A smile came to his lips despite himself. There was a woman with wings, and a blonde girl hovering magically above the scene. He saw the little girl get scooped up into the arms of another hero - Green Lantern, right? - who pulled a strange gun-like thing out and pressed it against one of her arms, which caused her to stop laughing almost immediately. The boy winced - that must be why his arm hurt now.

And there was Superman. It really was him. Charlie knew that cape anywhere. He watched with quite, gleeful admiration, as the Man of Steel strode past, looking menacing and heroic as he marched up towards the other clown - a shorter one, with wide silent eyes and a terrible smile. It kinda looked like the Joker, but younger, maybe his oldest brother's age. Charlie squirmed a little in anticipation, expecting Superman to punch the boy's lights out, or bodyslam him or something. But all the great superhero did was rush forward at lightning speed, just as the boy turned to run, and grab him around the neck, lifting him up into the air.

"Aw, that's it?" Charlie cried out despite himself, a little annoyed as Wonderwoman walked away with him still in her arms. Charlie was ticked. Who knows if he would EVER see Superman fight? Now he never would! Why didn't he want to hurt that kid?

"Come on, child," Wonderwoman said in a soft voice. "Let's go get you to your mom."

"Okay..." he replied dejectedly, flopping his head back over her elbow, so the blood rushed to his head. He stared up at the sky, where he could see a shrinking dot off towards the clouds. That must be Superman. He must be...

Wait.

He twisted himself over, staring in curiosity. Superman's silhouette, way out there... it had stopped flying. It kinda bounced around, before suddenly going back down towards the ground.

"I think he's falling..." he announced in a small voice, pointing up.

"What?" Wonderwoman asked, clearly perplexed as her blue eyes followed his pointing finger. Her free hand snapped to her communicator. "Superman? Superman, can you read me?"

There was no reply.

* * *

To the people of Earth, Superman had long been considered the most powerful man in existence. He was the superhero of superheroes. He was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. He had super strength, invincibility, heat vision, x-ray vision, super hearing. He could fly. He had it all.

High above the ransacked summer carnival of Gotham, he wrestled with the small boy in his arms. The teenager was screeching like a psychotic banshee, trying to get out of his grip. Superman was strong, but he didn't want to hurt the kid - the Joker-faced boy seemed determined to rip his own arm out to get away from the big blue boy scout.

"Come on, Dick..." Superman growled in worry and irritation, glancing down at the huge drop. "Calm down! You're safe now, let me just get you-"

There was a crack, like a tiny thunderclap. Superman jerked backwards, and his eyes grew wide, more in confusion and disbelief than anything. He gaped down at the white-faced teen, who stared back up at him with an empty, silent grin. Wind swept around them, but the strong rushing noise in his ears was completely independent from it. The Man of Steel blinked dumbly, wondering why he suddenly couldn't breathe...

Then he noticed the barrel of the gun pressed to his ribcage, noticed the smoke rising from its tip... saw the blood staining his uniform.

...but... how was that possible? Even at this point-blank range, the bullet shouldn't have done any damage to his tough Kryptonian skin. The pressure released by pulling the trigger should've splintered the gun, and sent it flying.

But then he felt that familiar tensing of his muscles, the familiar wave of overwhelming, debilitating sickness through his entire being. He grimaced, sweat already pouring down his paling face as he clutched the boy tightly. He gaped down at him with wide, disbelieving eyes as the clouds around them began to lift away from them. Gravity clutched hold of them. His cape flapped useless up towards the heavens as they plummeted toward the Earth.

The pain and weakness seizing his chest and body was nothing compared to the total shock that gripped him.

Dick had shot him... with kryptonite...

He hadn't even seen the gun. It'd been concealed, and not looking for it with his xray vision, he didn't see it... would never have thought he would...

The ground was growing closer. His mind was growing hazier. A terrible, shrieking laughter filled his ears.

_What the hell did he do to you, Dick...?_

Buildings and carnival rides grew ever closer. A deep sense of determination overrode the shock planted in his ailing brain. He wrapped his arms instinctively around the boy, and with a shout of excruciating pain, he summoned whatever power and strength he had left. Their descent slowed a little, the forces that gave Superman returning just enough to make the wind stop whistling so violently past him.

But it was not enough to stop them. The next thing he knew, he saw the flash of tree branches and buildings. His mind screamed in horror.

_You're going to hit the ground! You're gonna-_

And then the ground met him back-first. His powerless body was unable to negate the force of the impact. Bones snapped like twigs, pain boxed him in, and the brilliant blue sky above him became nothing but blackness in the quickest of instances.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey, guess what. There is now A FORUM for this story! :) I maded it myself, just for you. I mean... I have made a few awesome friends because of this story, and I thought it'd be great to create a community where you guys can meet one another and discuss the events of the story and also just, you know, how awesome Teen Titans are and Batman and anything else you might want to talk about. :) And I'm there, too, and I'll be putting up random little treats, you know, like links to fanart I'm working on, or maybe give an insider look at what's to come. :) You should definitely come check it out, right after you review this chapter, of course. Copy and past into your web browser: fanfiction.net/forum/Teen_Titans_Revenge_of_the_Joker/78647/ and check it out!


	58. The Home Stretch

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 58:** The Home Stretch

**

* * *

**

His field of vision was littered with a grid of colorless security screens. They shone in rows, placed like tile work of moving pictures. A couple of the screens flickered and buzzed, as shoddy and poorly maintained as anything else that was part the world of traveling amusement parks. But instead of the screens baring images of the haunted house ride that encased him - the queue, the cart loading zone, the various (mostly broken) animatronic monsters - they were black-and-white windows into what was going on in the carnival itself. The mayhem and destruction. The laughter and insanity. The SWAT team members, superheroes and cops that were searching desperately for him, but he was on the other side of the carnival from the main event, safely away from harm. An old-style radio crackled beside him, humming with familiar voices crying out with panic.

_"Oh god, it's kryptonite... it's kryptonite!"_

_"Kara, get back-"_

_"Where did he go? Where did the kid go?"_

_"John-"_

_"Would someone get those people out of here!"_

The voices matched what was happening on the screens. The Justice League, floundering like fish out of water with their best and brawniest slipping away in a pool of blood. A crowd had formed, mostly made up of the emergency response crew, but also a few civilians, mainly kids, and at least one cameraman with a poorly-hidden smirk as he shot the footage that would likely make him a name in the industry. The Joker felt a laugh bubbling in his chest like a geyser waiting to erupt, but he refrained on letting it go in full force. He picked up a slushie drink beside him and brought it to his lips, sucking a healthy amount of it through the straw. The cherry drink only served to stain his lips a deeper red, and as he smacked them, swallowed, and grinned, his teeth stood out even more brightly against them, further aided by the glow of the screens.

"I love it when things go my way..." he murmured aloud in a ruminative voice, his fingers drumming on the console in a melodic pattern. He set his drink cup down, and stretched out, linking his fingers and turning his palms out, all of his knuckles cracking at once. After a moment he settled back in his chair, and cocked his ear backwards, smiling knowingly.

"You hear that, Brucey?" he spoke to the darkness behind him. "You hear what my boy did to little ol' Kent? Truly a son after my own heart. Not that you would know anything about that..."

His eyes scanned the screens before him, and he glanced at the one who's image cut out the most. He could see that familiar pointed figure reflected in the dark glass, looming behind him, confirming the prickling suspicion on the back of his neck. The villain ducked just in time for a fist to sail over his head and smash into a couple of the screens. He cackled and leapt out of the way as his chair overturned, propelled by Batman's left hook into it's side.

"Calm down, Batsy! Calm down! You'll spill my drink!" Joker chortled, snatching his drink cup as he backed away. It was missing a plastic lid, allowing him to easily stir the drink with his straw. He gazed down at it pensively, as Batman stormed closer to him. Joker stole a glance, and grinned despite himself, still stirring his slushie.

He doubted he'd ever seen this much rage in his long-time foe. Bat's shoulders were hunched up like a bull in a ring, his fists shaking noticeably with pure hatred and anger. His teeth were bared, like a hound ready to rip apart a trapped fox. The little white holes in his cowl that hid his eyes were mere slits. If this had been an old-time cartoon, Joker mused, there probably would be steam circling his head.

"Now, I know you're mad..." The Joker ducked as another punch sailed, a black fist slamming into the steel plating where his head once stood. Joker threw the straw of his drink aside, and hurled his other arm forward, sending the red contents of the cup into Batman's face. The hero instinctively turned his head as the red drink splashed, but as half the drink hit his skin, he released a cry, staggering all the way back into the far wall with his hands scraping at his burning face. The Joker straightened, and grinned deliciously, looking down at his cup, which was now all but disintegrated.

Slide of hand. The simplest magic. He'd tipped in a powder that turned the sugary, icy drink into a bubbling liquid acid in only a few short seconds. He whooped with laughter and tossed the cup aside, eyes gleaming as he stared down at the Bats.

"What's the matter, Bats? Don't like cherry?" He had to speak loudly over both the groaning of the other man as he tried to endure the pain, and the hiss of acid bubbling on skin and armor. Joker kept his distance, knowing full well that Batman was anything but down. Just to be safe, he reached behind him, and snatched up a baseball bat. He twisted his hands around its handle just as a child would at the sandlot, trying to emulate the stars on TV. He swung it up and let it rest on his shoulder, ready should he need (or want) to use it.

"Easy, Brucey..." he said carefully, walking closer toward the struggling hero. "Easy- EASY!" He leapt back with a growl as Batman went for his ankle with one clawed, half-eaten glove. Joker swung his baseball bat like a golf club and smacked the arm as hard as he could, generating a loud crack of bone snapping, and a cry from the hero as he retracted his hand back. The Joker sneered. He was in control. He knelt, just far enough away that Bats couldn't try that again, but close enough to aggravate him. "Easy... hrm, I guess in the end, this kind of was easy. All of it. True, I hit the occasional snag, trying to deal with those brats... but overcoming those snags was like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. Finding the best solution to the problem. If it's too easy, it's boring, and that final picture? Well, you just don't enjoy it as much. This was just right. Just, so rewarding, to see the look on your face."

Batman glared up at him through his half-eaten cowl mask, his mouth baring a terrible snarl through the blistering, raw mess that was his face. Joker smiled. "Yes, that look."

The Joker straightened, and looked positively sinful as he stared down the fallen hero. "What's the matter, Bats? No witty comeback? No threat? No 'You've gone to far this time, Joker?'" He grinned slowly. "Or is it simply that... you know I've won? That you've been beaten? I have won. No matter what you do now, no matter what you do to me, I've won, and you've lost. You've lost everything. I know your secret. I've taken Robin. He's mine, and there's no hope for him. Once you turn like me, you never go back. You know this for a fact..."

Batman didn't move, but Joker knew he was processing this information, knew he was thinking of the same reports the Joker had read time and again when he snuck into the offices of Arkham. The reports of countless people who had fallen victim to the Clown Prince of Crime, those who had survived the worst he had to share. They never made their way out of the psych ward. Never, unless it was to be transferred to the morgue.

The Joker watched the Dark Knight warily. He knew that cold, calculating face, knew that the Batman wasn't fighting because he couldn't, but because he had chosen not to, to let the Joker talk. He always did this. Always looked for something he said to be used to his advantage. And it was making the villain antsy. He wanted Batman to respond, to fight, to give him a reason to smack him with his baseball bat. Part of him wanted to just go ahead and do it, but he knew that was inviting counterattack, and he didn't want any of the acid currently eating away the hero's suit to get on him, too. With little hesitation, he swung the bat around him, turning in a spin and slamming it into a glass case he knew was behind him, labelled "In Case of Fire." A red button within depressed. Every television screen darkened at once, the buzzing lights around them extinguishing. The cars of the ride beyond the room jerked to a violent halt with squealing brakes as the hiss of the sprinkler systems began. Water drenched them, the acid washing away from Batman's body, becoming diluted in the puddle that formed around him.

"Tell me, Brucey," Joker asked curiously, swinging the bat up again, not minding the water that dribbled down his face and around his toothy smile. His face was illuminated strangely in the dim flashing of the emergency lights "What happened to Robin... all the torture, all the manipulation... the complete and total tearing apart of his mind... would you say what happened to him is better or worse than what happened to your parents? Just wondering."

That did it. That set him off, as he knew it would. The Joker knew he was coming, but somehow didn't react in time. Batman clutched the front of his jacket, and sent him hurtling through the glass window separating them from the main portion of the carnival ride. Joker cried out as shards of glass ripped his skin, and again as he landed awkwardly in the seat of the car that had stalled just outside. He struggled to get up, the shock slow to wear off. Batman got to him before he could even lift his head, and the world spun and tilted as Batman slammed him hard against the nearest wall, summoning pain through his collarbone and back.

"Don't get sour at ME, Bats!" Joker laughed after a few hard punches in the face had caused his nose to bleed. "YOU were the one who let him be on his own! YOU were the one out of town when he needed you! YOU were the one that made him a target to begin with!"

Batman had his arm pulled back, ready for another punch, but the punch didn't fall. Joker grinned. He had struck a chord. A hard chord. One that reverberated through the halls of the room.

"Face it, Bruce. You hate yourself more than you hate me... You've lost. You've everything, and you have nothing to blame but yourself."

* * *

The sound of footsteps unevenly falling, echoing between the carnival rides. Gasps of breath joined them, mingled with a weak, gurgling laugh. A small figure hunched, stumbling, glancing around with frantic eyes, as though unable to see. A lost boy, running. Running away. From what, no bystander would've been able to say. His feet tripping as he took the nearest door out of the sunlight, disappearing into the darkness of a giant fun house. The footsteps faltered and diminished as he rounded a corner, and froze.

A terrible figure greeted him. A tall figure, with a white, smiling face. It was morphed, twisted, a monster grinning terribly back at him through the glass of a warped mirror. The little light that existed in the carnival attraction illuminated his gaunt, clown-like face. The boy fell backwards, his purple-clad shoulders pressed against the surface of a second mirror as hash breaths wheezed through his chest, eyes wide as this terrible face stared back at him, laughed at him. His breathing hastened further, becoming hyperventilating gasps as shaking hands rose, lifting the gun still tightly clutched in his grip, pointing it straight at the face that stared back at him. Without a single moment's hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The jeering face shattered into a shower of glass confetti. It sprinkled his white face with nicks that bled and stung. But he didn't seem to notice. He stumbled away.

There was another face, out of the corner of his eye. His movements were swift and shaky as he veered around. He pulled the trigger. His hyperventilating laughter was becoming more sickening by the second. His eyes were darting around wildly, as though he was attempting to find any familiarity in his surroundings, and he leapt back, startled and terrified every time his own face met his gaze, which was too often in the fun house labyrinth. Gunshots were followed by the scream of breaking glass, blood dribbling down his face. Again. And again. More laughter tearing through his throat.

Suddenly, the shots were silenced by the hollow, lonely clacking of the hammer hitting a vacant magazine, his gun's ammo depleted to nothing. Its handle fell from his shuddering grasp, and he looked up, into the face that stared back at him. This time, it wouldn't go away. A shriek of panic, of fear, broke through the cackling as he sprinted clumsily around the corner, huge eyes darting around for any escape or solace... a child, lost without his parent.

But all he saw was his own terrible face, laughing at him. Again, and again.

A labyrinth of madness.

Then... there was a voice. A voice echoing in the darkness, over the sound of his hoarse laughs. He heard it, and he came to a halt, eyes widening as what it was saying became clear.

"Robin..."

The white-faced boy spun on his heel, staring wide-eyed at a glass surface near him. Most of the unbroken mirrors around him reflected the same clownish teenager, but one was different. He backed away, wheezing painful gasps, his half-smiling, half-grimacing mouth twitching in dread. Before him was a girl, pale and thin. She was draped in a dark violet cloak, staring at him through the pane of glass. Staring.

He continued to fall back, away from those piercing violet eyes. Then, from the side of his eye he noticed a different figure. He leapt aside with a cry, jerking back as though burned, his body shuddering terribly as he took in the sight of this new figure, large and menacing.

"Come on, Robin. It's okay. We're just here to help you..."

His face spasmed fervently, his grimace more terrible and agonized than ever as he backed away from the glowing red eye of this other face. His back hit a wall of glass, and his head turned, to see another face staring at him from the surface of another mirror, a green face this time, looking determined with a child-like intensity.

"Come on, dude. We just want to help."

He froze, staring at the ground. The voices were echoing through the room, repeating words he didn't seem to be able to understand. He turned around in panic. They were all still there.

And then, almost as though he were expecting it, he turned once more, in the only direction left. A soft, peach-toned face stared down at him with a saddened emerald gaze.

"Please Robin," she said. "You do not need to run anymore... your friends are here, now."

He shook his head, his teeth bared and his eyes watering strangely. He shook his head violently. Finally, he turned from their mocking, haunting faces and went staggering through the reflective halls of the mirror maze. Their faces followed, ghosts, apparitions... their voices enveloped the massive maze. He clutched his head, bumping into the same glass walls again and again. Lost. Lost in a maze with no escape. Haunted by ghosts and monsters. Trapped. Trapped.

He finally fell to quaking knees in a pile of broken glass, blood and sweat and tears coating his face. He cackled with terrible abandon at the fragments of his own face on the floor, as the other, strange faces pressed in on him, trapping him. He dug his fingernails into his scalp. His laughter intensified sickeningly.

A pair of feet appeared before him. His eyes darted up, barely focusing as they fell on the face of the cloaked girl from the mirror.

And he froze, just staring at her.

She wasn't inside the mirror anymore.

He snapped away like a handful of spiders had just been thrust into his face. He landed on his rear, scuffling backwards, the heels of his wingtip shoes kicking up glass as his shoulders collided against the cold surface of the mirror behind him.

The girl wasn't alone. The others from the mirrors now stood at her side, a wall of ghosts, standing between him and the rest of the maze. Their faces all held the same strange expression.

They stood their ground before him, watching as the white-faced boy felt the floor around him. His fingers enclosed on a particularly large shard of glass, and he didn't even seem to notice nor care as its sharp edges caused red blood to stain his glove. His breathing hastened again, becoming a mixture of gasps and laughter. The panicking of a destroyed, desperate mind.

Was there anything left...?

"Put it down, Robin..." Cyborg muttered in a low, warning tone.

"You're not going to hurt us." Raven spoke with conviction. Her face set like stone, her cloak encasing her body like a shroud.

"Please, Robin," Starfire murmured sorrowfully, taking a step closer. "We are your friends. Please... trust us..."

"Come on, buddy..." rasped Beast Boy quietly, eyes wide with disbelief. "We're here for you."

He wasn't moving. His eyes were wide saucers as he looked around at all of them. But he never met their gaze, his vacant stare looking through them rather than at them. The Teen Titans held their ground, but barely breathed, the sound of his stammered laugh enough to unnerve them. But they held their ground.

They didn't know if this was going to work. They didn't know if Robin would ever be Robin again. They didn't know if he would live, or if they would live, through the end of this. They didn't know if there was any going back after everything that had happened. There was so much they just didn't know.

But what they did know... what they all had known... was that this was where they belonged. The four of them... they were his team, his family. Whatever happened... their place was right there. With him.

* * *

Author: All I'm going to say is please review, and the next update wont be too long.


	59. It's All Over

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 59:** It's All Over

**Author's Note:**

Well, here we are. The chapter you've read this entire story for. Are you excited? I am SO excited! I'm foregoing an author's note at the end of this, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you the following:

1) This is NOT the last chapter, but we're almost there.

2) Please review. PLEASE review. I really want to know what you guys are feeling at the end of this. Now more than any other time ever. I want to know what you think.

3) I hope you like it. :) I have a feeling... you will.

* * *

Time seemed to freeze in place. The four Teen Titans stood before their leader, staring down at him with their hearts breaking inside their ribcages. But their faces remained firm, strong, serious. There was barely anything about him, now, that even suggested he was once the leader of the Titans - their leader, their friend. He stared blankly up at them through sunken, lifeless eyes. His face bleached white, deformed into that terrible, disgusting smile. His breath sucked in and out quickly, like a leaky iron lung as he clutched the large shard of mirror glass tightly in his grip. It dripped with his blood.

Raven took a careful step forward. Her voice was calm, gentle, as she spoke. "Put it down Robin. Just put it down."

No one asked why she didn't simply yank the piece of glass away from him with her powers. No one asked why they weren't knocking him out, or dragging him away against his will. They understood. They did not want to seem like his enemy. They did not want to cause him more pain, give him reason not to trust them, not to believe in them. If they took him against his will, it would be little different to him, in the state that his mind was in, than what the Joker had done to him. They had to show him what the Joker would not. Love, compassion, friendship, safety.

Robin's hand had slowly begun to fall, as Raven stepped carefully closer. The others watched her with captivated silence, holding their breaths as she stepped within arms-width of him. If anything spooked him, he could easily slice her legs open. And she would not fight back, not cause him harm.

But he let her get closer. His eyes barely blinked as stared up to her, his mouth shaped less like a smile and more like a grimace. He was trembling badly. Sweat mingled with blood and dribbled down his face. Raven crouched slowly, so she was not looming over him so threateningly, so they were now eye-level. One of her slender hands emerged from her cloak, slowly, so she wouldn't startle him. Gradually, she stretched her hand towards him, taking her time, eyes watching him intently.

"It's okay, Robin. It's okay..."

Her voice was not unlike that of a child trying to coax an injured kitten from beneath the porch steps. Robin's eyes still stared at her, his breathing still ragged and shaky as she grew uncomfortably near. But finally, her fingertips grazed his hairline, and the palm of her hand settled softly against his forehead. His eyes met hers, and she stared into them carefully.

"It's okay, Robin..."

They saw his shoulders relax a little bit. The hand holding the shard had slackened its grip, resting forgotten on the floor. His face twitched, as though he were about to cry.

The others drew in closer, kneeling down beside her. Starfire didn't hesitate, but also didn't move too quickly as she reached out and laid her own hand gingerly on Robin's shoulder. Tears had appeared at the corners of her eyes. Unable to speak, she managed a warm smile at him.

Cyborg squeezed himself between Starfire and Raven, looking clumsy and awkward kneeling on the floor. His eyes were full of concern and hope. "We're here for you, Robin," he murmured in his beautiful, harmonic voice. "We're not going to let anything bad happen to you again. We promise..."

Beast Boy nodded, looking the most shaken out of all of them as he reached out and softly touched the pale hand that still loosely held the glass shard. He gently pried it from his fingers, looking a little ashen in color as he did so. Robin didn't resist. He seemed unable to. His eyes looked away from Raven, staring downward, towards nothing. His breathing had grown a little more steady, his smiling grimace slackening, vanishing.

But no sooner had they begun to believe it was over, that they had calmed him down, that they would be able to get him to safety, the world slammed into darkness. Robin's eyes snapped wide at the change, and the others reacted to the sudden shift in environment, despite themselves.

Then they heard the hiss of the sprinkler system overhead. Water showered down on them, drenching them as emergency lights flashed in the darkness, signaling towards the exits.

There was a scream. A scream of anguish. The four Titans were caught off guard as Robin suddenly snapped forward, bowling them over, tearing past them with a cry of pain, stumbling into the depths of the maze as though the water was hurting him.

"No! Robin!" Starfire cried out, leaping to the air and flying after him. But she immediately slammed right into a wall of mirrors, crying out and tumbling on the floor, glass scattering in every direction at once.

"Star!" Cyborg gasped, racing to her side. Raven and Beast Boy got to their feet.

"We have to follow him," Beast Boy stated in a strained, shaking voice. His hands shook as he clenched them at his side, his eyes veering wildly towards the dark-haired girl. "We can't let him...!"

"I know." Raven said, but she didn't move. Her face betrayed the emotions burbling inside her, the fear and the loss. There was silence. She couldn't hear Robin, couldn't hear a single laugh, or cry, or breath of air. She couldn't feel him. She hadn't been able to feel him almost this whole time... except when she had her hand on his forehead, and only when the others had been touching him too.

"Into the maze," Starfire said darkly, getting to her feet, ignoring the bleeding gashes in her skin like they were mere papercuts. "We must find Robin."

"Everyone, choose a path. Follow him." Cyborg spoke calmly, in case Robin could hear him. He didn't want to shout and sound like a threat. The others nodded to one another and took off. They bumped into walls, and hit dead ends. Sooner or later, they knew, they would find him again.

It'd almost worked. They knew it. On some level, they'd gotten through to him.

It was almost over... this whole terrible nightmare would soon be over.

* * *

The simulated downpour still drummed on his head, dribbling down his burning cheeks and providing cool relief to his injuries. His shoulder shook violently as he barely kept his pure rage in check. He clutched the Joker's lapel in both hands, throwing all his weight into him, causing the clown's feet to leave the ground as he slid up the wall, barely able to breathe under Batman's crushing grip.

"I'll break you in two..." the dark hero growled viciously, his glowing eyes narrowing to show he was not kidding. He lifted an arm, his muscles twitching in desire, in anticipation. He wanted to break him. He _wanted_ to.

Joker blinked up at him, perplexed. Not at all the expression he'd wanted. "Hrm... now why does that sound familiar?" He looked thoughtful a moment, and then his eyes flashed as he recalled. "Oh right! Now I know. That's exactly what Speedy said to me, before he died. Well..." His eyes suddenly twinkled with a demonic glee. "That is... before Robin killed him..."

Batman froze. His eyes widened, his scowl retreating into a horrified gape. What? No... it couldn't be...

"What, did you think I'd done it? Did you think that what happened to Superman ten minutes ago was an accident? That Robin had simply thought the bullets would ricochet off his invincible chest?"

Bruce swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. Yes. Yes, a huge part of him had thought that... had wanted to think... because Dick would never...

"Did you think this was all just Robin playing along until the time was right?"

Yes... yes... Dick was smart enough. He was strong enough. He would never...

"No, Bats. When I break someone, I leave nothing left... Dick Grayson - he's gone. He's gone forever."

Batman's grip had weakened without him being aware of it. The anger and vengence was swept from his mind, replaced with a bottomless pit of despair. He still had trouble believing it...

But somehow... he knew it was true...

Suddenly, an explosion of pain rocketed through his chest and ribs. The Joker had used this distraction to swing his feet up and kick hard, breaking Batman's hold and knocking him away, although a piece of the villain's purple lapel tore away with him. Batman staggered, his feet slipping in the water. He tried to reorient himself and his mind, tried to get himself back to where he needed to be. This was not a time to let his emotions take control. This was not a time to think about what Dick may or may not have done, what had happened to him, or what would. This was a dangerous fight. He had to stop the Joker. It was the only thing that he could do, to right any of this. He had to bring the Joker to justice. For Robin. For Dick.

But his brain was processing information far too sluggishly as he saw the Joker leap away. He made a lunge for him, the laughing villain landing on one of the carts of the ghost ride, and turning to look at him. Batman stretched out his hands, a cry leaping through his throat. He was almost in reach...

But then, the whole world suddenly dissolved into a void of white-hot excruciating pain. Fire zapped along his veins, paralyzing his whole body with prickling agony. Electricity, tearing through him volt by volt. He could see the Joker staring at him through blurring vision as he crashed to his knees, saw the murderous elation in his eyes. The Joker howled with insane laughter that reverberated in Bruce's ringing ears. The electricity couldn't reach him. The rubber tires of his cart kept it at bay.

All too soon it was over, and the Joker stood, staring down at the figure sprawled in the water. Bruce lay motionlessly in the water, his limbs jerking and kicking in spasms of leftover aftershocks. His chest heaved ragged, labored breaths, and his vision refused to focus. But he was able to see that gaunt, horrible white face out of the corner of his eye.

"You've lost, Bruce," Joker said in a deep, dark voice, eyes glinting red. "I only wish Robin were here, to help me finish you off..."

Bruce swallowed back blood, and tried to move his arms, but he couldn't. He heard a splash, felt the water around him ripple, rising and falling like a tiny wave. The Joker stepped towards him, each footfall sloshing through the puddle.

But they halted before ever reaching him. There was a long pause. Bruce's eyes closed despite himself, and he settled into the water. He wondered dully, dryly, what could possibly be coming next.

He almost wanted it to end...

But the Joker suddenly spoke, in a deep, bemused voice.

"Well, well... speak of the devil, Jay. You have perfect timing."

Bruce's eyes snapped open. He turned his head.

As though to taunt him, his own vision suddenly focused, and he could see him, clearly, all too clearly. He could see his small, white, starved face. He could see his mouth spread wide in a permanent grin of insanity, could see his tongue through the gaps where molars should've been. He could see his huge, terrible dead gaze through the dim glow of the emergency lights. He saw, in person, exactly how lost the boy truly was.

No...

Water spattered and slopped as Joker suddenly dredged forward. A hand gripped Batman by the back of his cowl, lifting him off the ground with a strength the thin villain didn't seem to possess. Bruce hung limply from his grasp, watching in paralyzed horror as the Joker tossed something to the teenager...

A gun...

His stomach lurched in despair and remorse, threatening to send bile through his throat. But he couldn't look away. Sweat dribbled down his burnt face as the boy looked at the gun, and then look at him.

He laughed.

He laughed, more sick and twistedy than Bruce had ever heard anyone laugh in his laugh. A laugh of nightmares.

"...Dick..."

The laughter intensified. It snaked its way into his heart and clutched it, ripping it apart like a pair of pliers.

He wondered if this was how Speedy went...

Dick... did you really...?

...would he...?

He watched, transfixed, as the boy continued to cackle maniacally, eyes staring down at the gun for a long, drawn out moment. Then, his gaze met Bruce's, sending a rush of ice through the old man's spine.

No... please, Dick... No.

But then, the boy suddenly swung his arm. The gun hurtled over his head, landing with a splash into the water built up on the floor. Dick's head shook back and forth once. His smile had changed, changed from a look of lost insanity to stark determination.

Relief washed over Bruce's face, his shoulders relaxing with a new brand of disbelief clutching him.

Dick... no... Robin...

He heard a growl, and Bruce looked up through the corner of his vision, unable to turn his head. The Joker glared at the boy, his eye twitching in the fullest rage. Robin's laughter doubled, growing even more vile and gruesome as he suddenly charged forward, his dark shoes splashing with each step as he suddenly plowed right into the Joker. The villain's grip slipped from Batman's cowl, and Batman landed hard into the water. He struggled to turn, coughing and sputtering as he propped himself up on an elbow. With another roll of laughter, Robin shoved Joker suddenly, forcing him back against a wall, and then into the water.

The Joker knelt there a long moment, just staring up at Robin with the most monstrous, hateful expression. He slowly got back to his feet, rolling his sleeves up. Red eyes, burning with rage and death.

"Why you... miserable... little BRAT!" he barked, raising an arm and swinging it as hard as he could across the boy's face, sending him flying. The boy landed hard, tumbling through the water and creating huge surges that lapped around Batman where he lay. The dark knight struggled to his hands and knees, his mind unbearably slow-moving as he tried to think of a weapon to use... acid-eaten fingers fumbled at his belt. He had to do something...

Suddenly, there was a cry. Batman looked up in time for a flash of green energy to blind him. He blinked, momentarily unable to see. Finally his vision cleared, focused, and he gaped incredulously at the new scene before him.

The Joker cried out again, hurtled over Batman's head by a cybernetic teenager, his circuits glowing blue, casting a soft, pleasing glow around the dark cavern. A green panther stood at his side. It hunched its shoulders, its teeth bared in a terrible growl before bounding forward, ready to tear into the villain. From behind them, two girls suddenly flew past, their gazes glowing different colors as they lifted their hands, ready to strike in unison.

It was the Teen Titans.

He tried to get up as the panther sailed over his head, the sound of snarling and teeth-gnashing echoing through the chamber. A pair of hands suddenly gripped him and hoisted him easily to his feet. "You okay?" a deep, young voice hummed in his ear. Batman tried to wrench himself from the large teen's grasp.

"You guys shouldn't be here," he croaked bitterly, face dark.

"Robin is as much a part of us as a part of you. We're not leaving."

Another cry escaped the Joker as he found himself hurtled head-first into an animatronic beast, followed by high-pitched screams as sparks of electricity zapped him. He wrenched himself out, only to have a green-coated bear rear back and then land on him, no doubt breaking a few bones.

Cyborg released the Dark Knight, charging forward with his sonic cannon blazing. Batman wavered on his feet, but managed to remain standing. He stared after them, unable to help feeling a sense of awe.

They were winning.

He shook his head. They hadn't won yet. If there was one thing he knew, it was that defeat came easily to someone who thought he had victory prematurely. He hurried forward, ignoring all the pain currently wrenching through his body, pain that would have immobilized any other person, but not him. He had a whole life to worry about pain.

The Joker's face was bleeding madly, his teeth stained with blood. He was gurgling with laughter as got shakingly to his feet, clutching a broken arm to himself as he looked out at them with a swelling eye. He laughed, mirthlessly, as he was knocked down by a floating cart, Raven's eyes glowing dark as she glared at him.

It was as if he enjoyed the pain... as if none of it mattered...

"_I've won... no matter what, I've won..."_

But the Teen Titans kept attacking him, in angry, vengeful silence. Silent, save for terrible warcries as they hurled their worst at them. None of them spoke. None of them made threats. There was nothing that needed to be said. Just three weeks of anger, pain, anguish, loss, guilt... three weeks of it being released, all at once.

"Stop."

Batman didn't speak loudly. He had no need to. The Titans heard him. They froze in their attacks, looking over at him. He could see the desire for blood in their eyes. He needed to stop them, before they went too far.

He strode forward with shoulders broad, face menacing. He pushed past them, stepping over the Joker and lifting him easily up off the ground. His arm shook as he held him out at full length, and it was unclear whether it was weakness or emotion that was making it tremble.

The Joker spat a laugh, sending a stream of blood into Batman's face. The dark knight scowled.

"So, you guys have beaten me down!" the Joker exclaimed in a congratulatory fashion. One of his teeth was missing, his face covered in bruises as he barked a cackle. "So what? I've won. I've won!" He began to laugh full-on, a boisterous, cold, terrible laugh that echoed through the chamber. "I've won! I'VE WON!"

No sooner had the last syllable left his mouth, when there was a clap of thunder that sounded over the sound of laughter. Everyone froze, even the Joker.

Robin was on his feet. In his hands was a gun. A flag fluttered from its tip, the word "Bang" painted on its face like some kind of practical joke. The boy's eyes were burning with an intensity that had been missing this whole time. They were locked.

They knew what was going to happen, but none of them were quick enough to stop it.

Another clap of thunder, the sonic boom of a gunshot. Batman couldn't even try and move him out of the way. The flag flew, like a dart, and landed square between the Joker's purple-clad shoulder blades.

The Joker gasped, eyes widening to their full circumference. Batman stared in cold dread as the madman's eyes met his. The laughter had been silenced, the smile wiped from his face. And, for the first and last time, Bruce saw true fear in the Joker's eyes.

"That's not funny..." the villain gasped in a choked voice. "That's... not..."

There was a gasp, like collapsed lungs trying to take in a breath of air. His weight became heavy, all of his muscles going limp at once as his head dropped to one side. Red pupils rolled up towards the crown of his head, so his eyes shone empty white orbs. A terrible smirk spread across his lips, different from the ones he would pull himself.

Bruce could swear he felt his pulse vanishing beneath his grip.

He couldn't breathe. No one could. The dead weight slipped from his quaking fingers, and the Joker fell in slow motion. His feet landed first, folding unnaturally as his knees came to join them. The rest of his body followed suit, falling backwards, like a discarded rag doll. His arms sprawled out in the puddle coating the ground, water rippling through the whole room. White eyes staring at nothing. The most terrible grin greeting them, etching itself into their minds.

He was dead.

He was really, and truly, dead.

Then, through the silence that accompanied death, rang the sound of the most sick, demented laughter they'd ever heard, the one that would haunt their nightmares for years to come.

No one spoke. Slowly, every eye in the room tore itself from the Joker's fallen body, turning and focusing on the boy dissolving into maniacal rapture before them... He staggered as the laughter ripped through his throat uncontrollably, his eyes wide and staring at nothing. One of the Titans shook her head in cold disbelief.

But then, something changed. Tears began to stream silently but surely down the boys thin, colorless cheeks. The corners of his mouth suddenly slumped; the smile disappeared. His laughter, dissolving into sobs, as the gun splashed to the floor and he fell to his knees. His head dropped backwards, his eyes clenching shut as he heaved harsh, painful sobs to the ceiling above him.

Batman could only stand there, and watch, numbly.

But one of the Titans had moved forward. The orange girl, her green gaze sparkling with tears of her own as she flew gently to his side. She crouched with the greatest care, hands reaching out, slowly gripping him. When he didn't resist, she pulled him towards her, holding him tight with her cheek pressed against the top of her head, embracing him with all the warmth and love of her heart.

"It's okay Robin," she whispered sadly. "It's okay..."

The others joined her: Raven laying a hand on his cheek, her face anything but relieved as she watched him with despairing eyes; Beast Boy and Cyborg standing by, close enough to show their concern, but awkward, unsure of what to do, as boys tend to be in situations like this. They could only stand, letting Robin's weeping tear into their hearts.

Batman was still unable to move. He could only stare, his muscles, veins, hell, his own soul frozen inside him, if he even still had one. He swallowed back bile, glancing down at the clown, at the haunted look permanently stretched across his face.

It's over, Dick... he thought to himself, looking up at Robin and feeling the emotions breaking through, but refusing to let them show. He stepped over the Joker's fallen figure, approaching as close as he dared, wishing there was something that he could do... something that could be done to make all of this right.

But it would never be right again, would it...?

He sighed, closing his eyes, bowing his head as though in mourning.

It was over...


	60. Moving Forward

**Teen Titans: Revenge of the Joker**

**Chapter 60:** Moving Forward

**Author's Note:**

First of all, thanks for all the awesomely kind words you all have given me. I am so proud of this story. So proud. So proud I even reviewed it myself! (Did you know you could do that? I didn't until I did it, lol!). There is really nothing in the plot and story that I am unhappy with. I could never have asked for a better creation. :) Or better readers.

This is TECHNICALLY the last chapter, but there is an epilogue to follow (and you probably have noticed fairly quickly - I'm posting them both at the same time so you don't miss it! - so don't miss it!)

Also, explanation for the first section of this chapter - too much Orson Scott Card. :3 Enjoy!

* * *

It's been a week, and there's been absolutely no improvement. If anything he has gotten worse.

What, did you expect him to bounce back in three days? Of course there's no improvement. These things take time.

John's right. And we wont give up. We'll do everything we can to bring him back to sanity.

So I take it the media bought the story?

Yeah. Teenaged boy, native of Gotham, one of those picked up during the Joker's kidnapping raid. Tortured into insanity and forced to do Joker's bidding. Police apprehended him, and he remains in critical condition in an undisclosed psychiatric facility. His name has been withheld, to protect him and his loved ones.

What if someone starts asking questions? Free Information and all that?

The Gotham Police have a false name on record. If anyone starts sniffing around, they'll wind up in circles.

What about the Joker?

Official reports state that he's still at large. The public will remain in a panic for awhile, but once enough time passes, and nothing happens-

Everyone will eventually just... forget?

Basically.

Let's hope it works.

But about the boy... J'onn, have you tried again? To break into his mind?

Yes. It is still too soon. Too dangerous. The stress involved with tampering with the barriers he has set up - it would kill him.

Isn't there anything you can do?

I do not pretend to be a psychologist. The human brain is a complicated thing. Piecing together one that has been broken as thoroughly as his is difficult. It will take a lot of time, whether I help or not.

So we gotta do this the old fashioned way, then. A shrink, some meds...

And likely a good amount of surgery, to reverse the physical damage.

To make him actually look human again, you mean...

Ollie...

We have a psychologist now. Bruce brought her in. He trusts her unconditionally.

That's rare. Makes sense though. You can't ask any ol' shrink to piece back together a hero's mind... confidentiality is a rule until enough money is shoved into your fists.

J'onn, do you think together, you and her will be able to help him?

We will try our best.

Gooood luck.

You don't think he'll ever recover, do you, Ollie.

I'm not necessarily saying _never_, but I am saying years.

I think you should put a little more faith in him, and in her.

Supes - he _shot you_. In the _chest_! With _KRYPTONITE!_

Exactly. So me putting faith in him is saying an awful lot, isn't it?

He killed the Joker...

Bout time someone did.

Ollie...

Hey, at least it wasn't me... because even with my morals, after what he did...

I know...

So, his friends. The Titans. Are they still here?

Yes. They've hardly left the observation room since he was brought in.

Have they been allowed into his room?

They've tried - the boy screams like a psychotic banshee if anyone gets near him.

And Bruce...?

... he hasn't visited him yet.

Why am I not surprised?

You know how he feels about Robin being up here.

Ridiculous. He _knows_ we can take far better care of him up here than he would be able to do alone. He's safe here, and no one but us knows that he's here.

What's gotten into him? He's usually much more rational than this.

...it's his kid.

If he really cared, you'd think he'd go and visit him.

I'll tell you one thing - if that had been Roy in there, psychotic and screaming... I probably wouldn't have had the balls to go in there, either. Not yet.

His friends have visited him.

That's because those Titans? They've got balls of steel.

So you're saying a bunch of teenagers have stronger balls than you do?

Hey, now, let's not get carried away...

You're a bit of an idiot, you know that?

I've been told once or twice.

* * *

The air was laced with the taste of medicine and solvent, stale and sour after being recirculated a thousand times through the vents of the fourth floor of the large space station. The entire floor was one large hospital ward, the place where the injuries and illnesses of superheroes were healed. They had the best doctors and technology available... and yet...

Cyborg walked through one of the hidden back hallways of the space station, which was vacant of the civilian medical staff and mechanics that otherwise wandered the halls of the facility. There were pockets of places like this throughout the large sattelite. The main command center, the sleeping quarters, conferences halls, evidence rooms... Places set aside to help keep the secret workings of the Justice League, including information and identities, away from those who would abuse the knowledge.

Beast Boy walked beside him. The two of them were returning from salvage efforts in Jump City. They'd spent the last few days scouring the sea floors with Tramm and some other friends of Aqualad's, drudging up whatever remains of their home they could find before anything could wash ashore. Boxes of evidence, weapons, personal belongings... they'd thankfully recovered a few important items just before heading back, particularly some of Robin's stuff they'd been worried Slade had taken before he blasted the place apart.

Cyborg glanced over at the little changeling, who sometimes had to skip a little to keep up with him. Beast Boy was completely, uncharacteristically silent. He slumped as he walked, bags noticeable under his eyes. He looked as though he'd aged a few years in only a week...

Too bad he didn't get any taller, Cyborg couldn't help thinking to himself, but despite the small twinge of amusement he felt, not a hint of it appeared on his face. In all honesty, he himself felt as though he'd lost a few years, too. His battery levels kept running low; he was just too impatient and worried to let himself charge the length of time his hybrid biological-mechanical body needed to function at optimum. His movements felt stiff, like his joints needed oiling. He hadn't eaten in days. He would stare at food, and knew he needed to eat it, but just couldn't... just didn't feel like it...

Too much growing up, too fast... What I wouldn't give to be a kid again...

They were approaching a dead end, a thick heavy door greeting them with a "Do Not Enter" sign. The oldest Titan reached over and pressed his hand against a security device planted in the wall. Lights flashed and electricity hummed, much like the humming in his own ears from his own body's mechanics. There was an affirmative sound, and the door shot upward.

Two faces glanced at them as they entered, looking just as pale, aged, sleepless and lost as Cyborg felt. No words exchanged in greeting. Both Starfire and Raven were standing next to the window that led into Robin's room, the chairs they usually occupied abandoned, one knocked over haphazardly.

"How's he doing?" Cyborg asked, his own voice sounding gruff and lifeless in his own ears.

Starfire shook her head. There were dark streaks on her cheeks, evidence she'd been crying. Cyborg came level with them, glancing through the soundproof window into the padded room beyond.

He swallowed hard.

Wonderwoman and the Martian Manhunter were inside, along with Robin's shrink, Dr. Leslie Thompkins. The old woman stood off to the side shouting orders, as the two heroes tried as gently as they could, to get him under control. He was screaming, thrashing against their grip, as they forced his arms through the arms of a stark white straitjacket.

A straitjacket...? But, wait. They'd been assured that there would be no need for any kind of restraint...

Cyborg's stomach leapt up into his chest and froze there, like an iceberg too big for his metal ribcage, as he noticed the heavy drips of blood on the jacket's white material. He realized painfully that it was coming from deep gashes in the boy's face.

"What the hell happened?" he hissed in shock, his voice unable to rise higher than a coarse whisper.

"I don't know..." Raven's voice shook as she spoke, full of more emotion than she would ordinarily ever allow herself to express. "He did it to himself. I don't know why, but he did it to himself..."

Cyborg's wide eyes darted to look at her, compelled more by the sound of her voice than her words. A rush of horror passed through him as he noticed her hands, clasped before her chest like a fisted prayer, trembling. They were coated with blood.

"Rae..." he breathed, feeling tears coming to his own eyes. He swallowed them back, and forced himself to look back through the pane of soundproof glass, to see WonderWoman wrestling the white-face boy to the floor, to tighten the straps that would keep his arms restrained. He felt like collapsing as he saw the boy's mouth stretch back in a silent scream. He couldn't hear it through the walls, but he could feel it. He could feel the anguish that ripped from his lungs...

And he also knew there was a dash of mirth, of glee, in his cries. There always was.

Cyborg lifted an arm and pulled Raven into a tight sideways embrace. She was trembling even worse than he'd realized, and he squeezed her shoulders, to reassure her, to do something. She didn't pull away like she once would. Cyborg glanced over, at Starfire, at Beast Boy. Starfire had a hand to her face, crying once more openly into her palm. The green changeling had latched onto the Tamaranian princess, more hanging on her than standing beside her, his grasp on her arm the only thing keeping him from hitting the floor. His face was a sickly color and his own shoulders shook. His face looked haunted, like he'd just seen the ghosts of his past. With a twisting stomach, Cyborg realized that he was.

Cyborg swallowed back his own pain, and reached towards them. "C'mere..." he murmured softly, folding his fingers in a beckoning gesture. They slunk close to him, and joined in on the embrace. They stood like that for a long time, holding onto one another tightly, for support, for strength. To try and stay their trembling muscles. To try and stem the flow of tears.

But Cyborg felt a tear break through his barriers, trickling down his lone fleshy cheek like a tickling bead of ice. He didn't care about trying to look strong, anymore. He wasn't strong. None of them were strong enough to handle this. He held them tighter, grateful each and everyone one of them were there, knowing with great pain that he had been so close to losing each of them at some point during the last month. They tightened their hold, too, everyone thinking the same of each other, thinking of how glad they were to at least have each other.

Because maybe together, they would be strong enough to get through this...

But he didn't know. Was there a way through this? Was there an end? Would there be a day where Robin wouldn't shriek maniacally if they tried to approach? Would there be a day where he would ever remember them, remember what he meant to them, remember all he had ever done? Would there ever be a day he could forget... and move on?

Would there be a day where they could all move on...? Would things ever go back to the way they were?

He just didn't know...

"I just wish there was something we could do..." he whispered weakly, closing his eyes, eyebrows furrowing in grief. "God, I just wish I could do something..."

But there was nothing they could do... nothing any of them could do, even Raven...

For the first time since they'd become Titans, they were totally and completely helpless... and it was the worst feeling in the world.

Beside him, Starfire glanced up, back through the window, watching the doctor kneel next to the fallen boy, trying to comfort him. She swallowed back a hiccup, and laid a hand on the green ornament decorating the metallic collar of her outfit. A few tears trickled down the familiar path down her face, but her expression had shifted. Her mouth parted, her eyes dancing in their sockets, signaling the cogs linking together inside her head.

"Do you suppose they would have a portable computer that I might be able to borrow?"

The others glanced at her, astounded. It was a very sudden shift, shattering the moment entirely. Starfire looked back at them, a strange light to her eye that hadn't been there before. It wasn't hope, but it was something. Raven straightened a little, and Beast Boy wiped a hand under his dripping nose, looking up at her with his eyes still sunken and wet.

"What're you...?"

"I just... have an idea..." she murmured quietly, glancing back into the room. "Just... a little one..."

"To help Robin?"

A small nod.

"A little idea is better than nothing," Cyborg said, suddenly alert. "I don't even care what it is. Let's do it."

* * *

The hyperventilation started the moment the door squeaked open. It grew in pitch, spattered with random bursts of tired laughter. Starfire stood at the door, watching him carefully. The sounds that were scraping through his chest was nearly more than she could bear to listen to... She glanced at the device cradled in her arms, and up at him, and took a deep breath.

She stepped into the room. The sounds of his panic grew more intense, the boy pressed against the padding on the far wall, arms bound tightly before him in his restraining jacket. He lay on his side, staring at the ceiling. The gashes in his face were held together haphazardly with butterfly bandages and stitches.

Starfire stood her ground, staring down at him with her heart breaking.

"Robin..." she murmured softly, in the most kind, caring voice she could. "Please, Robin... do not be afraid. I am not here to hurt you."

His cries didn't lessen, but they didn't intensify either. Starfire wavered there a long moment, then slowly seated herself upon the soft floor of the strange room.

Time passed slowly. She simply watched and waited, with all the patience in the world. After what felt like hours, Robin's gasping laughing shouts had dwindled to a tired pant. His eyes stared wildly towards her, but not quite at her. Every so often, his eyes flickered in the direction of the door, the window, the ceiling. Paranoid psychosis. Starfire noticed that he even sat peculiarly, not like one with a sound mind would. It looked painful, his knees splayed at odd angles. A little spittle of drool was on his chapped, torn lips.

She fought to keep her emotions under control. This is the closest she'd managed to get to him since the night they'd found him, and she felt sick noticing just how thin he was, how little there was left of him. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't eat anything. The doctor had tried to strap him down to feed him intravenously. His thrashing had been so intense, he'd almost broken a few bones.

Her eyes fell, to the device she held tightly to her chest. She slowly lowered it into her lap, listening to his slowly calming gasps. It was like a computer, but just a screen, one that could be touched with fingers the way a computer mouse would click. Green Lantern had shown her how to use it, and with shaking hands, she pressed the buttons she remembered. She opened a program on the screen, and then slowly reached up, to the ornament adorning the armor-like band around her neck and chest. She twisted it a certain way, grappling at it, and finally pulling a little chip from it - a data card, one that she kept hidden away there. She slid it into the appropriate port on the computer, and the device hummed a little as it thought about what it was doing. A couple more taps to the screen, and she found herself staring at a screen full of strange symbols. Words, written in a language only familiar to her. She stared down at the sentences quietly, and then looked up at her ill friend with a small, caring smile.

"I... would like to read to you, Robin," she said in a slow, comforting voice, gentle, so she wouldn't startle him back to screaming. She paused a moment. He still looked horrified and lost, but was not about to start wailing again. She shifted in her spot, getting more comfortable, willing her voice not to shake as her eyes passed over the sentences in front of her. "You'll have to forgive me for reading slowly. It is in Tamaranian, and I must translate. But I think you will enjoy these stories, Robin... They are our stories. All of us. The Teen Titans. These are our adventures together... I wrote them all down - a journal if you will. I've been keeping this for a long time. I... I really hope it helps you."

She paused once again, as though waiting for an answer. Though one did not come, his ragged breathing - breathing, not screaming, not even chuckling - almost felt like an okay, that she should go ahead and start. She swallowed, her mouth very dry, and began to read.

"August 2nd... I have found myself on a strange planet, called Earth. It is very different from Tamaran, but I have made the decision to stay. I have found a home here, and I have found friends. Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven. We call ourselves the Teen Titans, and we have vowed to protect those who cannot protect themselves. My friends are kind, and each are strong in their own way. We have already fought a few battles and protected many lives. However, today the battle was not so good. A giant carved rock named a Cinderblock broke into jail, and when their special move did not work out, Cyborg and Robin had a fight of words, and Cyborg left very unhappily, saying he quit..."

As she read, the other four Titans, and Dr. Thompkins, stood at the open door, watching, listening. The old psychologist wrote a little on her clipboard, but other than that, she watched the boy with rapt attention, watching for any hint of change in his behavior. It was possible that just hearing his friend talk, telling him stories of their past together, might help bring him back. It was definitely worth a shot.

He was not screaming. In fact, his breath was calming, his eyes not so wildly staring. Leslie nodded slowly, and wrote a little more on her pad of paper.

This... was definitely worth a shot...

* * *

Starfire read to him everyday. Read until her voice grew croaky and painful, read even when Robin finally gave in to exhaustion, reading to his dreams, hoping he could still hear her.

She got the others in on it to. They would sit together, taking turns reading, the computer able to provide Tamaranian-to-English translations for them. The others had been unsure at first, but they fell into reading it, and actually got caught up in the nostalgia.

"Oh my god, it's the virus incident!" Beast Boy laughed, his face bright and gleeful as he looked up at Cyborg, who stared horrified down at the screen in his hands. "Oh man, that was awesome!"

"Dude, because of you I ate all of THAT? And I almost fried the entire city!"

"It's funny in hindsight!"

"You're face under my foot is gonna be funny in hindsight..."

"You guys are idiots," Raven said without much humor, tugging the screen out of Cyborg's grasp and preparing to skip to the next entry.

"Nonono, come on, let me read that one, it's hilarious!" Beast Boy exclaimed, his hands scrambling to reach through Cyborg's grasp as the larger Titan pulled him into a crushing headlock. Beast Boy transformed into a snake, and slinked away from Cyborg, transforming back to himself in Raven's lap while yanking the computer away from her. He barked a victory laugh at Cyborg, who growled and dove after him.

"Get. Off. Of. Me." Annoyed energy seemed to radiate from Raven's skull, and her voice, though quiet, was able to make both the boys freeze mid-movement. Beast Boy looked over at her, and then laughed nervously.

"Um, I just wanted a hug?" Beast Boy asked with his voice squeaking.

"I think Cyborg wants to give you a hug."

"Yeah, I'll shower all kind of love on you," the cybernetic teen said, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

Beast Boy gaped up at him, then suddenly burst with laughter. "That's what she said!" he gasped between breaths, falling off of Raven's lap and curling on the floor, holding his stomach as his amusement seized him completely.

Cyborg stared blankly. "WHAT? Oh come on, why do you have to do those jokes on me, huh?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who strings your words into sentences. Maybe next time you should watch your mouth."

"...that's what she said," Raven suddenly spoke up.

Cyborg stared at her with mouth agape, then looked at Beast Boy. "Oh snap, she got you," he said with a chuckle. Beast Boy looked flabbergasted at her, as though wondering if she'd really done that.

Suddenly, Cyborg felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and the other two Titans looked up as well. Starfire knelt next to them, a strange look to her face. She gestured to the far side of the room, and they followed her gaze.

Robin was sitting up in the spot he barely had moved from for days. But he sat crosslegged, back against the padded wall, shoulders relaxed and arms hanging loosely in their bindings before him. His eyes stared off into nowhere, as they always did, but now, there was this tiny, almost dreamy smile on his face, like a child lost in daydreams during class.

Not a single one of them spoke, the ability to speak lost with the significance of this. It was the first time he'd had an expression on his face that wasn't of fear, or of remorse, or of pain... It was the first time he seemed... well, a little like Robin. Just a little.

Cyborg tapped Beast Boy on the shoulder with the back of his hand. "Read," he murmured quietly, a sense of awe to his voice.

"Nuh, uh. This is your story. You read it."

Cyborg looked at him, and he was greeted with a haughty, impish sneer on the green teenager's face. "You just want to humiliate me more!"

"You know it!"

Starfire could only laugh softly, watching them. It was working. The reading, it was reminding Robin what it meant to have friends, to have people who cared, who would be there for him always.

It was working.

* * *

Another few days passed. The others had left to take care of some business back home. It was just her there, sitting closer to Robin than she had ever managed to before, only feet from him. Her throat hurt from speaking, her tongue dry and her eyes beginning to see double. It was very late. She paused a moment in reading, glancing up at the boy beside her. He lay sprawled on the cushioned floor, a pillow under his head, his eyes closed. He looked peaceful, the restraining jacket serving to look more like a swaddling blanket than a confinement. His breathing was soft and gentle, and despite his white skin, green hair and terrible injuries, he actually looked a little like Robin would when he fell asleep on the couch in front of the tv, past exhaustion from a long day of hard work.

She lifted a hand, and hesitated a moment before carefully reaching out and stroking his head. He stirred, and moaned a little, and she froze, afraid that she'd disturbed him wrongly. But he settled back into his pillow with a sigh, letting her brush some of his green hair behind his ear.

"I think we both should rest a bit," she murmured in a gentle, melodic hum, giving him a kind smile. "I will be back tomorrow, though. I promise."

She said this to him every night, before she went to sleep in the other room (there was a guest room set aside for them in the sleeping quarters, but she never took advantage of it). After the first day, Robin used to scream as she was leaving, but he no longer did once she started saying that. She closed down the computer, and grunted as she rolled over to stand.

There was a cry, and she looked to see Robin staring up at her with wide eyes, suddenly alert. She knelt a little, smiling down at him. "It's okay, Robin. I will just be back tomorrow. I will read you more of the stories, but for now it's very late and you need to rest. Sleep well, friend. I will be back in the morning."

She stood, turned and began to leave, when suddenly she heard something like footsteps. She began to turn, hearing a rasping cry, growing closer.

Then, something grabbed her around her wrist, almost dragging her down. She wobbled unsteadily with a gasp, but maintained her balance. Astonished, she slowly turned, her body numb with disbelief.

Robin knelt beside her. Straps hung loosely from around him, white fabric on his arms torn and loose around his suddenly free arms. Shaking pale hands clutched her wrist tightly, so tight it hurt. Starfire gaped down at him with a mixture of shock and wonder, as he squeezed a little tighter.

He had actually managed to rip through the straitjacket...

"Robin..." she whispered, crouching down so she was more level than him, setting the computer gently on the floor and laying her other hand on top of his. He gripped it too, shaking terribly as he dropped his head, resting his forehead against their entwined fingers. Starfire felt tears springing to her eyes, but she kept them at bay, squeezing his hand. "It's okay, Robin. I will be back. You are so tired, you really should..."

He made a sound. It wasn't a cry. It wasn't a laugh. It wasn't a groan, or a cough, or any other sound he had been making since he'd been brought here.

It was speech.

"Please... please..."

It was all he said, his fingers trembling against her, the quaking spreading to his shoulders as though he were crying. He was speaking to the floor, but at her.

"Please what?" Starfire croaked, unable to speak clearly. Now she couldn't see him, her eyes bleary with tears. She leaned in closer to him. "Do you want me to read to you, just a little more?"

His head nodded against her, fingers squeezing. Starfire carefully settled herself back down to the floor where she was, Robin following closely with her, curling up beside her with his head resting on her knee. She managed to pull a hand free from his, grabbing the computer and starting it up. She could barely see the words as she read to him, could barely speak as emotions wrung her throat.

She was certain... for the first time, she was absolutely certain...

One day, Robin would be okay. He was definitely going to be okay.

She knew it.

* * *

**A/N: **For any of you who want an explanation for why Starfire was the one to come up with a way to help him, I have the answer for you. She was the first one who went to look for him. All the way in chapter one, it was her who looked high and low for him. So she gets to be the one to find him first. :)

Go on to the next chapter. It's there waiting for you. :)


	61. Epilogue and Final Notes

_**Readers: **This is where I need your help. This story is written word, but the world it's based on, the world it truly exists in, is visual. The only way that I would ever want to end this story is a way that is visual - a montage, played over music. Unfortunately, though I am capable of drawing decent fanart, it would take me months to put together visually what I want you to see, so for now... I need you to use your imagination._

_The following passages are meant to sync with the music, but I write far too much for you to possibly read while listening to it. It might work best to read it all, and then go back, start the song, and then imagine each scene over top of it, each segment resembling a segment of the song (it's pretty clear when it changes)._

_One day, I will be putting together an actual montage. But this will have to do for now._

_The song is "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," by Death Cab for Cutie. You can easily find it on youtube or on playlist dot com ((P.S. I don't care if you dislike the song - it's exactly the song I imagine.))_

_It begins with the end of the last chapter, the first paragraph written here playing over the opening melody and the first half of the verse. The second paragraph then finishes the verse. The line break indicates the start of the chorus, and the line break after that the start of the next verse, and so on__... Is that clear? I... really hope this works. XD_

**_

* * *

_Epilogue**_  
_

_

* * *

_Starfire reads softly to the boy curled up against her lap. Tears trickle down her cheeks as she grasps his hand tightly. He relaxes fully against her, eyes falling closed. He looked absolutely truly peaceful, for the first time since he'd disappeared.

Construction has begun to rebuild Titans Tower. Cyborg clutches blueprints in his hand, looking up at the tower thoughtfully. Kid Flash races by, pausing to quickly salute him, before running off again, and Tramm stops by, speaking his strange language while pointing to the blueprints. Cyborg only half pays attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees something fly by. A red-breasted bird, darting by, slipping between the bars of a construction crane, and flies off into the sunlight, and is gone. Cyborg watches after it, and sighes.

* * *

Rain gently drums on the heads of the silent gathering. Feet stick in mud, faces solemn and dark. Rows of mourners, bowing their heads. They do not create a sea of black, like a normal funeral. Instead, it's colorful and vibrant - a heroes funeral, attended by all who knew him, and even many who didn't, but wanted to pay their respects

A wooden casket passes them, cradled on the shoulders of those who knew him best... Bumblebee, Aqualad, the twins, one on the other's shoulders, and finally, Green Arrow and Black Canary. They move quietly as one unit, and Bumblebee does not even stop the tears from falling - it's not like anyone will notice them in the rain anyway...

The grave stone says "Roy Harper." The dates listed are only sixteen years apart. "A good son, a great friend, an even greater hero."

* * *

The Great Mumbo is attacking Jump City again. Or at least, he was. Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven and Starfire skid to a halt, gaping in wonderment, at the villain tied up in ropes on the ground before them.

Kid Flash stands behind him, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, as though to apologize for the fight being over so quickly. The other Titans smile and congratulate him, but it's quickly apparent that the victory is bittersweet, and the new hero isn't slow in knowing it. The Titans were happy to have him on their team, but they really just wanted Robin back.

* * *

The door to Robin's room hangs wide open. He is missing. Cyborg and Starfire scream at Superman with fear and rage. The older hero tries desperately, sternly, to calm them down and explain.

On Earth, a white-faced boy struggles in his white jacket, gripped by Batman and his old butler. An old woman frowns at them as they try to keep him under control. The boy sobs uncontrollably, hitting the ground, his lips curling back in a terrible grin. Batman looks down at him, his face determined, stubborn. But the hands clutching the thin boy shake uncontrollably.

* * *

Snow is falling as the four Titans East members stand on their rooftop. The two youngest smile and applaud, both healed and on their feet, as two new members walk up to them from the T-ship. Jinx can't help but smile warmly as she grips hands with the twins, and then Aqualad. Aqualad gives a nod, his face softening a little at her excitement. Bumblebee frowns darkly at the ground, clearly not ready for any of this. A dark hand extends to her, and she glances down at it, then up. Her eyes fall on the strong face of Herald, who smiles gently at her. She stares at him, almost transfixed, a moment

* * *

More time passes. The night is dark, thunder crashing outside. A boy, peach-faced, dark-haired, screams in his sleep, as he has for every night. He awakes harshly, bolting upright, crying, gasping, gripping his head. He tucks his knees towards his chest, and sobs into them quietly. As he calms down, he looks up, glancing around, as though something were bothering him. His eyes fall on something, and his breath catches. In the darkness, he could see a red light, blinking at him, watching him. He turns towards it, eyes wide, shining with tears. Slowly, his shaking hand reaches out towards it. It's in reach, his fingers bumping against something unseen, blocking the light out. He encloses them around the mysterious item, and pulls it toward him. Another flash of lightning outside his window illuminates it. A yellow device, with a black T emblazoned on the front.

He stares at it a long moment, as though unsure what to do with it. Finally, a small smile, a warm and gentle one, graces his thin face. He lies back on his pillow, rolling over onto his side and settling into the comfort of the large bed. The device, still clutched in his grasp, its cool surface resting against his cheek. He drifts off to sleep with that peaceful smile still lingering on his face, and for the first time in his short, broken memory, there were no nightmares to greet him... no pain... no fear... Nothing but the gentle, pleasant laughter of his friends, their faces as clear as if they were there with him. It filled him with life.

He was home.

* * *

_The End._

* * *

**The Last Author's Note:**

This author's note comes in THREE PARTS!

1) Acknowledgements

2) Sequel Notes

3) **PARTY! **- (obviously this one is important right now)**  
**

So.

First: **Acknowledgements.**

_**THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY PERSON READING THIS RIGHT NOW! THANK YOU!**_

You guys are awesome. You really are. This story exists because of you. If no one had read this, if no one had told me how much they liked it, how much it meant to them that I kept going on, it's likely I wouldn't be posting this today.

I quickly have to thank some people specifically, because they were instrumental in this fanfic surviving as long as it did (or, that I survived as long as I did).

First, Strgrl4eva, one of my longtime readers, closest friends, and daring betatester (yes, tester) for alot of the last chapters. You're awesome.  
Next, Autumnights, for having the most creative and awe-inspiring reviews ever (guys, she wrote a death threat to me in TERZA RIMA! Do you even know what that IS?).  
Third, x_rockinrobin, for being awesome and one of my first fans. She was really one of the first to really feel like I was doing things right, and has stuck it out until the end.  
Lastly, Jessica, my IRL best friend who read this even though she's never really watched the Titans. :) Now that's loyalty. I love you, bestie.

Next, **Sequel notes!**

For now: BE SURE YOU ARE ON AUTHOR ALERT! That way, when the sequel is released, you'll be the first to know!

Lastly,_ **PARTY!**_

**HECK YES MAN I'M CELEBRATING!**

**I mean it! I'm having a big internet gathering on ustream, where I will be drawing, talking, interacting, answering questions, and dancing like a nutball to awesomely terrible dance music! There will be a chatroom open for you all to talk to me. I will be taking drawing requests, and overall it's going to be so much fun!  
**

**Friday, August 20th, 2010, 5PM-12AM PST at - www . ustream . tv/channel/melimsah **(without the spaces)

If you're a regular reviewer, you will be getting an invite through PM, to remind you! Watch for it and I will **SEE YOU ALL THERE!**

(The video should be saved on there if you miss it. Sorry if you do! It'll be awesome!)

* * *

Be sure to check out my profile for various updates, links, information, and other stories by me. Check out the RotJ forums. Follow me on deviantart, or twitter. :) Whatever you want! You could even not do any of it, doesn't matter to me much! I'm just glad this thing is DONE!

* * *

One last time - _**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS!**_ There are not enough font alterations to truly express how incredibly AMAZING it is for me to FINALLY. BE. ABLE. TO. HIT. THAT. "COMPLETE." BUTTON. It was a heck of a ride. :) Thanks for sharing it with me.


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